Lost a Loved One in an Accident? Here’s What You Can Do

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Losing a family member or loved one in an accident can be a devastating situation, with psychological consequences that can last a lifetime.

In many cases, relatives of fatal accident victims in Austin can take legal action against the person responsible for the accident, provided that the person acted negligently.

Therefore, it may be advisable to have a specialist, such as an Austin wrongful death lawyer, who can provide you with legal and emotional support in your quest to obtain justice.

When is Death Considered Wrongful?

We will speak in these terms when it is discovered that the person who caused the accident acted recklessly. Therefore, if he had had the right attitude, he could have avoided the incident. This can occur in different types of situations, such as:

• Car Accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Workplace accidents
• Accidents on public or private property

What to Do After the Death of a Person Due to Negligence?

Despite the emotional impact this causes, there are steps that family members can take to later initiate legal action against the party accused of the accident.

Evidence: The person who is physically and emotionally able to do so should gather all possible evidence, from photographs and videos to medical and police documentation, following the accident.

Lawyer: At the same time, contacting a specialized lawyer quickly can make all the difference. The professional will be able to guide you in taking the right actions for a possible legal dispute.

Can Anyone File a Lawsuit?

While laws vary by state, in most cases it is the immediate family members who can file a claim.

By this we mean children, parents, or spouses of the deceased.

What Financial Compensation Will We Receive?

The compensation victims can recover is usually split into two. Affected families will be able to receive financial compensation for economic and non-economic damages following the accident.

Economic Damages

• Medical expenses
• Treatments
• Funeral expenses
• Loss of income

Non-economic Damages

• Pain and Suffering
• Emotional instability
• Loss of enjoyment
• Poor quality of life

In some instance, victim can also seek punitive damages, provided the accident involved gross negligence.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published an article about workers’ compensation systems and the different claims that exist according to its research.

There is no central source of workers’ compensation data in the United States, so each state collects its data on employers from private industry and local government.

In this sense, the role of a lawyer is also important in order to calculate the amount of compensation that the family of the injured person should receive. Although everything will depend on the type of accident we are facing.

As the National Safety Council (NSC) shows in an article, deaths from unintentional and preventable injuries have increased in recent years. They reveal a chart with the different types of accidents and their percentages to give us an idea of the large number of various accidents that occur every year in the US.