Murfreesboro Wrongful Death Lawyer

When tragedy strikes and your loved one loses their life, the grief can be unimaginable, especially when you learn that someone else caused that accident. In these situations, your first priority must be to focus on your healing, but then, contact our Murfreesboro wrongful death lawyer for legal support.

At Larry R. Williams, PLLC, our compassionate Murfreesboro personal injury lawyer is here to help you through the complicated legal aspects of your case. We offer free consultations to start the conversation with no obligation to move forward if you decide not to do so.

What Is Wrongful Death?

Wrongful death applies to situations in which a person dies as a result of the negligence of someone else. That means the at-fault party owed an obligation to keep that person safe, they did something to breach that obligation, causing an accident that led to the death of the other victim. Some of the most common accidents resulting in wrongful death claims include:

• Car accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Workplace safety-related negligence
• Medical malpractice cases
• Defective products

In these cases, the immediate family member or the state’s personal representative has the right to pursue financial compensation against the at-fault party for the losses incurred. Doing this is challenging, and working with a skilled Murfreesboro wrongful death attorney is critical.

Why Wrongful Death Happens in Murfreesboro

Various factors can contribute to the onset of wrongful death. As your attorney, we will seek out all information about what took place leading up to the incident to verify who was at fault. Consider a few common examples:

• The other person’s actions directly caused the death. A driver was operating a vehicle while intoxicated, for example.
• The defendant’s inaction caused the death. An employer did not provide proper safety warnings, training, or equipment to prevent a known injury risk.
• The defendant acted willfully to hurt the other person, such as in an assault case.

Proving these events took place can be challenging in many situations. Our Murfreesboro accident lawyer is experienced at locating the necessary evidence and building a robust claim for victims and their families.

Compensation Owed in a Murfreesboro Wrongful Death Case

For the family, no dollar amount is enough to replace the life of a loved one, and that is not really the goal of wrongful death claims. Rather, there are two components to the process. The first is building a case that demonstrates the losses the deceased party would have recovered had they lived and filed a lawsuit against the at-fault party. The second component is providing for the financial losses and pain the family suffers because of their loss.

Economic damages are one of the starting points for wrongful death claims. This may include:

• Medical bill associated with the accident and care up until death
• Funeral and burial costs
• Lost wages suffered by the victim between the time of the accident and their death
• Loss of wages they would have received ongoing through their expected lifetime
• Coverage of services, such as providing childcare for a parent while the other party worked, or home services

These losses are documented based on the current costs associated with these services. Other losses are more challenging to calculate.

Non-economic damages in a wrongful death claim may include any compensation that aims to support the family during this difficult time. That is, these damages are not measured by a bill received, but by the implications they have on a person’s life. Some examples may include:

• The physical and mental suffering the person experienced prior to their death
• The loss of companionship and support to the family
• The survivor’s loss of guidance and society
• Loss of consortium for the spouse

Calculating these losses is not simplistic, but our skilled Murfreesboro wrongful death lawyers will take every step possible to do so with accuracy. We speak to our clients as well as others to evaluate the true cost of this life that was lost.

Factors That Play a Role in Calculating Wrongful Death Losses

Keeping the previous in mind, some of the factors that contribute to the amount of compensation a family may receive include:

• The age of the person when they died
• The life expectancy of that individual had they lived
• The occupation and likelihood of promotions or advancements for the individual
• The level of education or specialized training the individual had
• The level of pain and suffering experienced prior to death
• The value of all services provided during medical care and through death

Also, note that there are some situations when shared liability is applied. That means that the person who died may have some responsibility for their death, which could reduce the amount of compensation.

Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death

Under Tennessee law, the deceased party’s family has one year from the date of the death to file a claim in a court of law for the losses incurred. This is not very much time.

Within that short amount of time, the immediate family member of the deceased, such as a spouse or child, may file the action to recover damages in the court of law. If there is no spouse, children can seek compensation. Without children, a parent can seek compensation or the next of kin. A personal representative of the state working on behalf of the estate of the deceased party can also take legal action.

Because of the complexities of filing a claim like this, victim families should seek a trusted Murfreesboro truck accident attorney to guide them through the process.

Put Your Trust in Our Murfreesboro Wrongful Death Lawyer

If you lost a family member as a result of another person’s negligence, allow our Murfreesboro wrongful death lawyer to guide you. Schedule a free consultation with Larry R. Williams, PLLC, now to learn what your rights are.

We do not charge you for a consultation. If you do not recover damages from our legal support, you do not owe us anything for our attorney fees. Learn how we can help you by calling our team now.