Did you know that wrongful death lawsuit errors can cost you and your loved ones millions of dollars if you are unfamiliar with how the law works? Hiring a wrongful death attorney can help you navigate the complex legal process.
The right lawyer can ensure that you receive the best compensation that you and your family deserve.
With professional help, it would be easier to investigate the case, represent yourself in court, and negotiate with insurance companies. Here are the top 7 wrongful death lawsuit errors that you need to be mindful of.
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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Errors
The loss of a loved one is never easy to handle. Before taking matters into your own hands and diving into the lawsuit filing process, you should speak to a wrongful death attorney to vindicate your loved one.
1. Making Public Statements
If your loved one has perished in a public way that is noticeable and tragic, the media may report their death. You may also get a chance to stand united in front of the camera to draw attention.
However, it would help if you remembered that this is a highly emotional time. There is always a risk that you may say the wrong things on camera.
Putting yourself and your loved ones in that situation is the worst idea. Anything you say can be used against your wrongful death lawsuit.
Especially if you happen to mention anything that would indicate that your loved one was not perfect.
Accidental statements can change lawsuits by making it look like the person affected may have contributed to the accident. It is best to keep these matters private by spending time with family and avoiding the media.
2. Fighting With Family
A wrongful death lawsuit can bring up a lot of ugliness in families. Be kind to yourselves and remember that this is a time to come together and support each other.
You are all under immense pressure from losing a loved one. Therefore, it may be tempting to get into a fight.
Try to keep differences aside to focus on grieving together as a loving family. There can be disagreements about funeral procedures, but never forget that you are all in this together.
3. Speaking With Insurance Companies
Insurance companies are relentless when it comes to making as much money as possible. The only people insurance companies will focus on are themselves.
They want you to avoid going through the lawsuit filing process. Therefore, anything you say to an insurance company can be used against you when you have to settle negotiations.
Therefore, it is best to let your attorney do all the talking on your behalf. Otherwise, you risk providing different information that can lower the value of your claim.
4. Causing Justice Delays
Remember that you have limited time to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Therefore, you must ensure that someone in your family speaks to a qualified attorney.
Even if you are not the person in charge of the household, you should still ask questions. This will press whoever is in charge to be proactive to ensure you do not miss your lawsuit filing deadline.
5. Not Tackling Differences of Opinion
Not everyone in your family may be comfortable with filing a wrongful death lawsuit. This can also be one of the first things you all fight about.
Even though these differences may feel like they can never be resolved, many people do not receive all the information to make the best choices.
Therefore, instead of letting these differences keep you apart, you should communicate more. This way, everyone will know what a wrongful death lawsuit is and why it is essential to consider getting justice for your lost loved one.
6. Too Many Communicators
When it comes to a wrongful death case, a lot of information needs to be shared. If you have many family members that want to be involved, you should always have someone who can act as a leader.
They need to be the ones dealing with your family’s wrongful death attorney. Then they are responsible for sharing all the information timely with the rest of their family members.
This way, there will be less confusion about how the case is going. Everyone in the family will know all the facts.
Otherwise, you risk having multiple people getting involved all at once. This can lead to many miscommunications, making the grieving process more difficult.
7. Accepting Early Payouts
When you see that funeral costs and burial expenses are mounting, you may be tempted to accept your insurance provider’s settlement offer behind the scenes.
However, always remember that an insurer does not have your best interests at heart. Their goal is to save as much money as possible to make the case go away.
Insurance companies look to avoid litigation and want to resolve the matter quickly. While you are seeking fair compensation, they will want to do things cost-effectively.
They will not take into account your loss of guidance, household services, and companionship. Since they do not know your family members, they will not understand the unfair pain and suffering you are all going through.
This is why you need to hire the right lawyer. Your legal team will have the most experience dealing with insurance companies. They will have all the resources ready to take on the case for you to win.
Then you will not feel that their retainer fees are going to be a problem because they will represent your family’s interests to win maximum compensation for the wrongful death.
Hire the Best Wrongful Death Attorney Today
Now that you know the most common wrongful death lawsuit errors, it is time to hire the right attorney to win your case. Your attorney will have a lot of knowledge of the law, and they will help you save time and money.
They will ensure the responsible party does not take advantage of you so you can get the highest payout possible. If you enjoyed reading this legal guide, check out some of our other posts.