Ocala Wrongful Death Lawyer
The senseless, preventable death of a loved one is something that you may never recover from. Spouses, parents, and children are likely to suffer mental anguish and pain for life after the loss of a husband, wife, child, or parent. To make matters more difficult, the “accidents” of negligent parties are more often than not treated as mistakes, not criminal offenses. As such, surviving victims are often left feeling that justice is lacking. Our Ocala wrongful death lawyers can help you seek justice in civil court by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party. Our lawyers are here to ensure that you are compensated for every penny possible. While we understand that no amount of money will ease your pain, the finances you are awarded can help pay for medical expenses, property damage, college tuition for your children, funeral and burial expenses, and much more.
Wrongful Death Damages
As a surviving spouse, child, or parent of the deceased, you have the opportunity to file a wrongful death claim against the liable party for the following:
- Medical expenses incurred by the victim;
- Pain and suffering of the victim;
- Loss of consortium;
- Funeral and burial expenses;
- Property damage;
- Lost income;
- Mental anguish and loss of joy of life; and
- Lost parental care and guidance.
Types of Accidental Deaths
There are 170,000 unintentional deaths per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As outlined below, many of these deaths are caused in traffic collisions and accidental poisoning.
- Unintentionally poisoning deaths—Nearly 65,000 deaths annually;
- Motor vehicle deaths—More than 40,000 deaths annually;
- Unintentional fall deaths—More than 36,000 deaths annually;
- Unintentional drownings—Close to 4,000 deaths annually, including boating accidents, according to the CDC.
- Fire deaths—3,500 deaths annually, according to FEMA;
- Medical errors, which may be as high as 251,000 fatalities per year by some estimates;
- Bicyclist fatalities caused by motorists;
- Pedestrian fatalities caused by motorists; and
- Work-related accidents or toxic substance exposure.
Additional types of wrongful death include other types of fatal premises injuries not including slip and falls, such as electrocution, lacerations, negligent security, toxic exposure, accidental firearm deaths, and suffocation.
What is a Life Worth?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) values the average American life at $10 million—the highest valuation by any federal agency according to Bloomberg. Of course, each life is priceless, and one hundred times this amount would never be enough to console the victim’s loved ones or fill the hole that they have left. When placing a value on a wrongful death claim, the following factors must be addressed:
- Medical expenses incurred;
- Pain and suffering the victim went through;
- Estimated lost lifetime earnings;
- Whether or not the victim had minor children;
- Whether or not the victim was partially responsible for the incident; and
- Much more.
Additionally, the negligent party’s insurance policy and assets will determine how large of a settlement or lawsuit award can be expected. If the liable party is uninsured or underinsured, it will prove difficult to recover significant assets from them.
An Ocala Wrongful Death Lawyer is Available to Help
During this tragic time, we understand that dealing with legal issues is not near the top of your list of priorities, which is why we are here to take that responsibility and burden off your shoulders. Call the Ocala wrongful death attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm today at 1-844-200-0000 to schedule a free consultation.
