Is it possible to receive compensation for a fatal accident in Deerfield Beach?
Deerfield Beach, FL – If someone dies in an accident, they will not be around to take legal action against the person or entity responsible. For this reason, Florida and other states have a wrongful death statute that allows family members to follow certain procedures to bring a lawsuit on the deceased person’s behalf. The family can contact an attorney who has specific experience in dealing with lawsuits related to deadly accidents and the process to receive compensation.
How to bring a wrongful death case
After the family receives notice of the accident, there may be various kinds of evidence. This can include accident reports, insurance claims, a death certificate, physical evidence and recordings from the scene, and other items. The family can start the process to meet with an attorney as all of this is being gathered. This should be done fairly quickly, as wrongful death cases have shorter statutes of limitations than most other areas of the law. The time limit for a wrongful death lawsuit in Florida is two years.
This is a civil lawsuit that is brought independently of any criminal charges that are related to the same accident. The outcomes of the civil and criminal cases may also be different and they do not affect each other.
Who can bring the lawsuit?
In Florida, the person who represents the deceased person’s estate will formally bring the case. This is normally done on the behalf of the spouse and any other minor children. However, if the person was not married or had no children, the funds may be distributed to certain other family members such as siblings or parents. The case that is brought by the estate will need to declare any beneficiaries who are eligible to receive damages on the deceased person’s behalf.
Damages in wrongful death cases
In all civil lawsuits, the compensation for the victim tends to coincide with actual losses and the severity of the accident. In the case of a fatal accident, this means that the victim’s family may receive several different types of compensation. This includes expenses for a funeral and burial, the person’s future lost wages and income, the value of services they could have provided if they had lived, and their costs of final medical treatment. The family may also be able to argue for pain and suffering damages due to the psychological effects of suddenly losing a relative.
Assistance from accident attorneys in Florida
The Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Rosenberg is a personal injury firm that works with clients in the Deerfield Beach area. They can discuss the possibility of a lawsuit, compensation, and other matters during an initial consultation.
Firm contact info:
The Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Rosenberg
5255 North Federal Highway, 3rd Floor, Boca Raton, Florida 33487
561-508-8800
rosenberginjurylaw.com