Wrongful Death Lawyer Hazelwood, MO
Wrongful Death Attorneys in Hazelwood, MO. Losing a loved one is often one of the most painful and difficult human experiences. That pain is compounded when a preventable accident or someone’s reckless behavior ends your loved one’s life prematurely. After losing a loved one at the hands of another person’s negligence or misconduct, there is a way to get some support for your family and hold the responsible person accountable for the irreprerable harm they have caused. When your family member is killed in a wrongful death case, speak to a wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis right away.
Combs Waterkotte is a St. Louis firm dedicated to pursing justice and standing up for those who have been wronged. Your Combs Waterkotte wrongful death lawyer will handle your case with the utmost care, respect and reverence. We cannot replace the life lost, but we can make sure you are fully compensated for your losses as the law allows. After losing your loved one, you may feel lost and powerless. Let a passionate wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis fight for your family and help you collect compensation to help your family navigate life after your loss.
A Combs Waterkotte wrongful death lawyer is ready to fight for you and help your family recover full compensation. There is no cost or obligation when speaking to a wrongful death lawyer. Call us today at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to review your case with a qualified St. Louis wrongful death attorney. We are here for you.
Wrongful Death Laywer Hazelwood, Missouri
Combs Waterkotte offers professional legal support to families that have suffered a wrongful death. There are a number of parties who can be sued for wrongful death, including businesses, insurance companies, and any negligent actor. It’s important for survivors to reach out to a qualified attorney to see if you’re owed compensation after an accident. Our Wrongful Death Attorneys will fight for your claim or go to trial. If we don’t win your case, you don’t pay. Feel free to contact our Hazelwood, MO, wrongful death lawyers now for a case review.
There are many forms of compensation you can get for a wrongful death settlement. There are several factors that go into a wrongful death claim, which is why it’s so important to get experienced legal counsel. Combs Waterkotte has handled vehicle-related cases, nursing home negligence, firearm negligence, product liability, and other claims. All of these are linked to wrongful death lawsuits. Here, we’ve provided a few facts about wrongful death cases in the Greater St. Louis area.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 40,000 vehicle-related deaths every year.
- Missouri Revised Statute 537.080 designates beneficiaries (people who can sue for a wrongful death) as family members, children, adoptees, domestic partners, and spouses, broken into three tiers based on preference.
- Different states have different time limits on filing a wrongful death claim. Missouri’s statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is three years, meaning in most cases you have three years from the date of death to make a wrongful death claim in Missouri.
- Auto accidents, falls, and medical malpractice rank among the leading cause of wrongful death.
- According to the CDC, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 44, and the leading causes of unintentional injury are auto accidents, poisoning, and accidents like falls and drowning.
- Damages awarded in a Missouri wrongful death claim depend on many factors, typically include loss of income, loss of consortium and support, medical and funeral expenses, and whether the decedent suffered prior to death.
Wrongful death claims are complex. There are complex laws in Missouri regarding the various parties that may be liable, and settlement amounts can change drastically. Survivors and family members may be able to collect millions of dollars depending on the claim.
Common Wrongful Death Claims
Our reputation is built on our wrongful death lawyers’ success in protecting the rights of our clients. Whether it’s a family that lost someone because of a distracted driver, a worker who was killed in a construction accident, or just an innocent bystander, it’s important to our firm to provide quality legal representation. Here are some of the most common types of wrongful death claims we’ve had experience handling:
- Car Accidents
- Criminal Acts
- Workplace Negligence
- Product Liability
- Drowning
- Medical Malpractice
- Defective Drugs
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Electrocution
Getting a lawyer right away is essential for winning a wrongful death case. Our St. Louis wrongful death lawyers have helped countless St. Louis and Missouri families get fair compensation for their losses through settlements in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Learn more about our wrongful death attorneys here.
A wrongful death claim can be used for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, support, counseling, and other damages. An overlooked damage includes loss of wages that may be equal to a certain percent of a state’s minimum wage.
Medical wrongful death is particularly difficult. We will look into whether or not a physician had the right experience, if any decisions were ill-advised, and if the treatment facility was negligent in any way. Unintentional death on the job is another major concern for our Hazelwood, MO, wrongful death attorneys. Often, workplace fatalities are attributed to safety cutbacks and other hazards. Parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, spouses, children, and other family members may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. Contact the Hazelwood, MO, wrongful death attorneys today to learn more about our experience with these cases.
Damages for Wrongful Death Claims in Hazelwood, MO
You can claim both general and special damages for wrongful death in most states. Regarding economic damages, the typical is to multiply any financial compensation (from hospital fees, burial costs, etc.) by 4 or 5. It’s important for survivors to not rush insurers or negligent parties with a demand letter. Our Hazelwood, MO, wrongful death attorneys know how to approach insurers with a wrongful death claim and can help you send the right demand letter.
There are four things to consider in any wrongful death case to prove negligence:
- Duty of Care: There’s a standard of responsibility in society. For example, you’re supposed to stop at red lights and provide a safe work environment.
- Breach: A breach is when a third party fails to show duty of care. You can look at breach as a “failure to act,” like not stopping at a stop sign and hitting a pedestrian.
- Causation: It’s important to prove that a person’s breach of duty of care actually caused you (the survivor) harm. If you’re in a car accident, it’s important to prove that a negligent party caused the accident.
- Damages: The concept behind compensation or punitive damages hinges on the fact that you’ve been affected financially. This includes hospital bills, the inability to work, funeral expenses, loss of consortium, and other special and general damages.
There are lots of factors to consider, such as property damage, lost wages, loss of companionship, and any physical and mental distress felt by the victim before their death. Skim through our wrongful death FAQs to learn more about how wrongful death claims work. Here are some of the most common questions we’re asked about these lawsuits:
- What do I need to prove for a wrongful death claim?
- What is the average wrongful death settlement?
- Who is eligible to sue for wrongful death?
- Can I sue if a family member is killed in a car accident?
- How long do I have to file a wrongful death claim?
- How long does it take to win a wrongful death settlement?
It’s important to know your rights as a survivor and how to approach a case. The easiest answer is to contact a wrongful death attorney in Hazelwood, MO, right away for legal counsel and support.
The wrongful death lawyers of Combs Waterkotte offer a range of legal counsel to help those in the Hazelwood area get justice. These include the following practice areas:
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
View some of our firm’s results and recent cases and testimonials to learn more. A death in the family can cause financial difficulties for surviving family members, and it’s our job to help those families get the compensation they deserve.
Contact Wrongful Death Attorneys in Hazelwood, MO, Today
A lot goes into every claim or case, and as St. Louis wrongful death lawyers, it’s our duty to help victims and their families gather all of the required information in order to be fairly reimbursed. Our firm has your back. Reach out to our St. Louis wrongful death lawyers today to learn more about our capabilities. Get a free case review to find out whether you have a wrongful death claim and what a St. Louis wrongful death lawyer can do to help your family recover. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP or reach a wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis online through our form.