What Are Common Causes of Wrongful Death Cases?

Losing a loved one unexpectedly due to someone else’s negligence is difficult. You and your family need to plan a funeral and figure out how to pay final expenses; you may not even know exactly how the death happened. Each day drags on, but before you know it, a month has passed. But what are some of the most common causes of wrongful death, and should you consider filing a case in court? When should you contact a wrongful death attorney?

What Is Wrongful Death?

Wrongful death is an area of personal injury cases where the victim doesn’t survive their injuries. Sometimes, death is nearly instant, while in other cases, the victim survives several hours, days, or weeks on life support in excruciating pain before succumbing to their injuries.

Wrongful death legally occurs due to the negligence of another party. Each state has their own laws associated with who can bring a wrongful death claim and when those claims can be brought.   It’s critical that you speak with a lawyer who is familiar with these wrongful death claims and has experience.

Common Causes of Wrongful Death

There are many ways a person could suddenly suffer fatal injuries in an accident. Common causes of wrongful death include:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Nursing home negligence
• Slips and trips 
• Construction site accidents
• Oil rig accidents
• Heavy equipment failure
• Gas leaks or explosions
• Electrocution

The types of injuries sustained in car and truck accidents can be devastating. Crushing injuries, limb amputations, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries can be life-altering and are often fatal.

Workplace accidents also come with a high risk of fatalities in certain industries. Oil rig workers, truckers, construction workers, and electricians face dangerous conditions, including exposure to the elements, working near heavy equipment, working where falls can be deadly, and other risk factors that can lead to death.

Liable parties in wrongful death cases include drivers who caused the accident that led to your loved one’s death, negligent employers who failed to safeguard dangerous work zones, negligent doctors or other healthcare providers, equipment manufacturers who developed and sold defective products, and others. Your wrongful death attorney can help determine which liable parties may have contributed to your loved one’s death.

Compensation Available for Family Members

Losing someone can have a severe economic impact on a family. Your loved one likely contributed an income to and did work around the home like dishes, cleaning out gutters, laundry, lawn work, and other household maintenance tasks. Your loved one may also have been a parent who raised children and offered guidance, discipline, and care.

Compensation available for a family who lost a loved one in a wrongful death case might include:

• Lost income
• Final expenses for the funeral and burial
• Value of household contributions the decedent would have provided
• Loss of consortium, companionship, and society
• Lost value of inheritance

Contact an Experienced Wrongful Death Law Firm in New Mexico and Texas

If you lost a loved one because of the negligence of another person or entity in New Mexico or Texas, you may be able to file a wrongful death case in court to recover compensation for your loss. Established in 1984, Fadduol Cluff Hardy & Conaway P.C. has been standing up for the rights of personal injury and wrongful death victims for over 30 years. Call us today at 800-433-2408 or contact us online to schedule a case review with a wrongful death attorney at one of our offices.