Accidents
If you’ve recently lost a loved one in an accident because of another person or organization’s negligence or wrongful acts, you may be dealing with a wide array of emotions during the grieving process. Feelings of anger, remorse, frustration, and fear are very common. On top of all of these normal feelings, you may be worried about your family’s future financial security. With expensive medical bills and funeral expenses, it can seem like an impossibility to afford it all. If the deceased was the primary earner in the family, it may mean a loss of the single source of income and benefits, and you may feel like you have limited options to get through these trying times.
In your period of grief, you should be able to focus on spending time with loved ones and recovering from loss. Financial concerns are real and should be addressed, but it may be better to put those matters into the hands of legal professionals. If you believe negligence played a role in the wrongful death of your loved one, it would be prudent to contact a skilled wrongful death lawyer in Port St. Lucie to discuss the matters of your case.
Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd have successfully represented wrongful death cases for people in your position for over 40 years. We know how sensitive these matters are, and we know how to best ease your financial concerns in these difficult times. While there is no rushing the grieving process and we won’t be able to ease the pain of loss, we may be able to help you cope with the financial struggles that loss can bring. Call us at (866) 460-1990 and we can discuss the matters of your Port St. Lucie wrongful death case and find out if legal action is right for you.
Close family members of the deceased are usually the only ones that may seek financial restitution for wrongful death. In some cases, other parties may attempt to recover, but usually only in special circumstances outlined in Florida’s wrongful death statutes. When someone is killed in an accident due to negligence or through some intentional wrongdoing, a wrongful death claim may be filed if the following criteria are met.
The negligent party (including individuals, companies, government organizations, etc.) must be found guilty of failing to adequately abide by a care for the deceased’s wellbeing in such a way that led directly to their death, or to the accident that caused their death. Two simple examples of a breach of duty are a driver operating a vehicle drunk and a manufacturer that creates defective work safety equipment. If either case leads to an accident resulting in death, the responsible party may be held liable and required to compensate surviving relatives.
It must be proven that the responsible party’s negligent or criminal action led directly to the death of the victim. A car accident that results in fatal injuries is one such example. Illness or injuries resulting from a contract awarder’s requirement that their contractors work in hazardous conditions is another example. In either case, it must be proven that the death is a direct result of the breach of duty.
In the eyes of the court, a wrongful death suit is not about simply naming the defendant as a cause of a loved one’s death. It must be proven that financial or non-monetary losses are suffered by the plaintiff. These can include funeral expenses, medical bills, a loss of income, and a loss of companionship.
If all of these requirements can be met, the option to sue the responsible party becomes available. A skilled wrongful death attorney will be able to tell you early on if your case is likely to meet these criteria and advise on your next course of action.
In the state of Florida, only certain close family members have legal standing to file a wrongful death claim. This includes the spouse, children, or parents of the decedent. It may also include dependent blood relatives, dependent adoptive brothers or sisters, and non-legitimized children for which the decedent was still financially responsible.
Representatives of the deceased’s estate may also be eligible to recover losses experienced by the decedent between the time they were injured and the time of their death. This type of legal case is referred to as a “recovery action,” and it is often conducted at the same time as a wrongful death case.
Our firm is dedicated to bringing responsible parties to justice and helping you find the compensation you need to recover financially. No legal action can fully make up for the death of a loved one, but we can fight for your rights as the victim of a tragedy of negligence or criminal intent. The grieving process can take years and it can be difficult, but at Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd, we want to do everything in our power to make the financial aspect of it easier.
We’re available 24/7 to field your call and schedule a free, no-risk consultation at (866) 460-1990. There’s no need to compound your grief with the difficulty of worrying about seeking to recover funerals expenses, medical bills, and lost wages or benefits. Let us relieve some of that burden as we examine your case to determine if seeking damages is a possibility in your Florida wrongful case.
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