When a person is injured or a life is unjustly taken, there is often legal recourse for those left to suffer the results. In the case of death resulting from accidents or injury, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 121,000 individuals in the United States are killed by unnatural circumstances through no fault of their own, every year. This may result from motor vehicle accidents, negligence on the part of others or even murder. For those left to pick up the pieces after loved ones are taken in this manner, consulting a wrongful death attorney can be the first step in rebuilding a shattered life.
What is Wrongful Death and How Is It Prosecuted?
Wrongful death is any death caused by means that are not natural and outside of the victim’s own actions or fault. These deaths range widely in cause, but all of them leave families and loved ones reeling with both emotional and financial distress.
Pursuing legal recourse for wrongful death is one way to offset the damage done by these deaths. Whether it’s paying for counseling, funeral costs or simply the price of moving on with life without a loved one, it can be difficult to move forward. Appointing a representative for the victim’s estate and seeking compensatory damages caused by the defendant is the beginning for many bereaved families in healing from an unforeseen tragedy.
Why Do I need an Attorney?
Oftentimes in the case of wrongful death, injured persons or families of deceased victims will settle out of court, rather than face a trial. While this can save time and stress, it can also result in a loss of thousands of dollars or more – money that the family could use in such troubled times.
San Francisco area law experts Bracamontes and Vlasak recommend seeking legal counsel with a professional experienced in the field of injury and wrongful death as soon as possible after the event occurs. With the help of a wrongful death attorney, clients can see better legal results, including securing more of the money they are entitled to and need to begin rebuilding their lives.
