Can You Sue for Wrongful Death if Your Elderly Parent is Killed in an Accident in North Carolina?

If your loved one is killed in any sort of accident, you’re going to need to talk to a wrongful death attorney in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s one thing when you’re hurt and recover from your injuries. It’s quite another when your spouse or parent is killed in a car accident. And, car accidents aren’t the only type of accident that can cause someone’s death. They could be walking down the road and a piece of construction equipment hits them and kills them. Or, they may be the victim of a missed cancer diagnosis and dies as a result. If any of these things happen to your loved one, your family may have a claim for wrongful death.

A lot of people think about wrongful death cases and imagine that the family gets millions of dollars. This isn’t always the case. Yes, if you file a single lawsuit against someone that kills your loved one, you can sue for millions. But if your case is filed as part of a class-action, such as the RoundUp weed killer lawsuits, then you may not get much at all. Sadly, it really does come down to a few factors.

If the defendant and the courts don’t think your loved one’s life was worth a certain amount of money, you won’t get much. Or, if the class-action lawsuit settles for a certain amount, the older plaintiffs aren’t going to get as much money as the ones who lose a healthy, 40-year old male. This sounds cold and mean but it is the truth.

If you aren’t sure if you have a claim for wrongful death, or don’t feel your case is worth anything, talk to an attorney in Charlotte. They’ll work hard to get your family the money they deserve.

Every Life Has Value

When it comes to the law, every life has value. You love your family, and if your parent gets killed in an accident, you deserve compensation. However, it is true that every life has a different value. When it comes to wrongful death, there are only certain types of damages you can demand. You will be entitled to reimbursement for the funeral and burial. It doesn’t matter how old someone is. You are entitled to this money. The funeral is going to cost the same no matter how old the victim was. But for the other types of damages, they will be lower if your loved one was older when they died.

For example, you aren’t going to be able to demand lost future income if your loved one was 82 when they were killed. This sounds terrible, but, chances are they won’t be working at that age. In fact, if they are older than 65, the court is going to assume that they were ready to retire so you may get nothing when it comes to lost income. And, when it comes to things like loss of companionship, the court will look at age. If your loved one only had a few years left to live, they aren’t going to offer you millions of dollars in damages. But this shouldn’t discourage you from talking to an attorney. They can still fight to get you as much money as possible.

If Your Parent is Killed in an Accident, Contact a Wrongful Death Lawyer in Charlotte, NC

If you loved one passes away due to the negligence of another, you need help. You have to contact a law firm that takes wrongful death cases right away. Yes, you need to take time to grieve. You don’t have to call a lawyer the day after your loved one’s funeral. However, you don’t want to wait too long because, if you miss your statute of limitations, your case will be dismissed. But you can wait a few weeks to call a lawyer. When you’re ready, you need to call our office and schedule your free initial consultation. You need to focus on grieving and taking care of your family. The last thing you’ll want to do is deal with lawyers and insurance companies. Let our office do that for you.

The initial consultation is free. You don’t pay a dime until you settle your case. In the meantime, your attorney will work hard to gather evidence to prove your case. They’ll also negotiate with the defendant’s insurance company to settle your case. The defendant will have a team of lawyers working for them and you should too.