The fact that you might need a trustworthy wrongful death lawyer Vienna VA residents can turn to for help in difficult times like the one you are in, was not anywhere on your radar when you got the horrible news that your loved one had died.
Difficulties
For most people, the unexpected loss of a family member causes a sense of loss and grief that overwhelms them and seemingly permeates every crevice of their being. Performing routine tasks and taking care of regular responsibilities can become difficult to impossible. People often experience a loss of ability to control their emotions – not just their sadness but many people develop feelings of anger, guilt, hopelessness, rage (to name just a few) that they cannot control.
These feelings and challenges can become exponential in proportions when a person suspects or knows that the death of their loved one was caused by someone else’s actions or inactions. There are many different situations and scenarios where if a person or people or an entity have directly or indirectly caused the death of another person, it is considered a wrongful death. A wrongful death lawsuit often refers to a defendant’s (or defendants) negligence, malice or recklessness as being the cause of the victim’s death.
If you think you might need a licensed wrongful death lawyer Vienna VA families of wrongful death victim’s families can get legal advice from, contact Cohen & Cohen for a free case evaluation today.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Different states have different laws that dictate who can file a wrongful death lawsuit, who can be accused of causing a wrongful death, and the timeline for when certain things need be done before a lawsuit will be accepted in the courts.
Typically, a spouse, child, and parent are entitled to the right to pursue a wrongful death claim. Some states allow siblings, step children, step parents, grandparents, and/or other dependant relatives to seek compensation for a loved one’s wrongful death
All states have statutes of limitations for when things need to be done.
Civil vs Criminal Lawsuits
Criminal lawsuits are usually brought to the courts by local, state or federal government officials or departments. They often are titled “The State vs.” someone or something. While wrongful deaths can be the result of criminal actions, they are not being fought against on behalf of the victim or the family. Rather, they are being fought of on behalf government trying to protect citizens from being subject to criminal acts. It is not uncommon for family members of victims to be called to testify in a criminal case but a criminal case does not seek money for the victim or their family.
The intent of a civil lawsuit is to get monetary compensation for a victim’s estate and/or their remaining family members. Some of the things that survivors might try to get compensation for include but are limited to:
– Medical costs
– Emergency services costs
– Funeral/burial expenses
– Loss of income
– Loss of benefits
– Loss of retirement/pension
– Loss of consortium
– Loss of parental guidance
– Loss of child rearing and care, household maintenance, etc.
– Loss of companionship and emotional support
– Pain and suffering
– Mental/emotional anguish and treatment
– Many others not mentioned here
Civil and criminal wrongful death lawsuits are independent of one another. The outcome of one should not have an affect on the other (even though some high profile, etc., cases have made establishing impartial judges and juries more difficult.)
If you have lost a loved one to a wrongful death, you may find it helpful to discuss the details of your situation with a wrongful death lawyer Vienna VA community members can rely on at Cohen & Cohen
