Connecticut sees its fair share of car accidents. However, the most devastating are the ones that involve a vehicle hitting a pedestrian. Such accidents often result in more injuries that are severe, even fatal at times. If a loved one passes away due to an accident in Connecticut, consider filing a wrongful deathclaim against the reckless driver or company that owns the car.
What Is A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
This is death caused by a negligent act by someone else—in this case, involving a pedestrian. As a relative to the deceased, you have the right to file for compensation.
Should You File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Connecticut?
No amount of money can replace the life of a person that has passed away. However, the lawsuit canhelp you handle expenses related to the death of the loved one, clear any medical bills that the deceased left behind, pay off any debts and other money owed, and any other expenses arising from the accident.
Pedestrians have the right of way in Connecticut, which means that they need to be regarded as road users as well.
File for a Wrongful Death Claim
The first step is to file a wrongful death claim to let the insurer know that they need to pay compensation. As long as your loved one died due to bad intentions or negligence by another person, you have a right to file a claim. Doing this sets in motion various actions that help you to get compensated. If you aren’t sure of what to do, call an experienced Connecticut wrongful death attorney to assist you with the process.
Know who can File a Wrongful Death Claim
Only survivors of the deceased can file a wrongful death claim for compensation; not all relatives can do this – the guardian of the estate, a spouse or legal domestic partner, children, or stepchildren are the only ones allowed to file the claim.
If the deceased didn’t have any of the relationships as mentioned above, the parents or siblings might file the claim.
You have three years to file the claim in Connecticut. Failure to do this means you won’t be able to recover any damages. A Connecticut wrongful death attorney can take some pressure off you and make sure you fine the claim early enough.
Prove Liability
To get compensated for wrongful death, you must establish that someone else was negligent and at fault in the death of your loved one. Doing this means you have to prove that someone else’s actions caused the accident, which subsequently led to the death of your loved one.
At times, you might find that more than one party is responsible for the accident. For instance, if the pedestrian was hit by a negligent delivery truck driver, you can file a claim against the truck driver and the company.
If the pedestrian was also at fault, you need to establish to what extent. In this case, you will be able to recover a lower amount of damages. If the liability is found to be 30 percent, then you can only recover 70 percent of the possible payout.
Determine the Amount of Compensation
An experienced Connecticut wrongful death attorney can use various variables to come up with a figure. If the deceased was the family’s breadwinner, you will recover financial support to cover what has been lost. The right attorney makes sure that what you receive is way more than just the economic damages; he includes emotional losses.
The wrongful death settlement should include the loss of future earnings as well. The lawyer looks at his past earnings and determines how much he would have earned if he didn’t die.
A Lawyer makes Things Easier for Grieving Families
Whether dealing with a stubborn insurance adjuster or filing a lawsuit, the lawyer makes things easier for you. He can help collect evidence, talk to witnesses and file necessary paperwork. By letting a competent Connecticut wrongful death attorney to handle the claim, you can focus on recovering. Call today.
