The loss of a family member brings grieving and heartache. It also can bring the surviving family to the brink of financial ruin or beyond. When families in Chicopee and Western Massachusetts suffer the loss of a family member they can turn to Atty. Robert W. Shute to design and pursue a strategic legal plan to make the responsible parties pay for what they have done. The idea of a living person filing a claim or lawsuit for non-fatal injuries is well-known, but you may be wondering who can sue for the death of another person. When a person dies, that person is known as the “decedent” for legal purposes. When a person dies, management of the decedent’s assets and debts is carried on through the person’s “estate.” A decedent’s estate is overseen by a court approved “personal representative” who usually is a close family member. The Wrongful Death claim or lawsuit is handled by Atty. Shute on behalf of the personal representative and the estate. Surviving family members receive the money that is won from the responsible individuals or insurance companies.
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Vehicle accidents are one of the top causes of wrongful deaths. There are over 40,000 motor vehicle traffic deaths per year in the United States. The size difference between cars and trucks and high impact head and T-bone collision are major contributors in vehicular deaths.
Wrongful deaths can occur from workplace accidents, medical malpractice, car accidents and slip and fall accidents. On average, falling accidents cause around 36,000 deaths in the United States per year. Survivors are left dealing with the emotional and financial hardship.
According to the CDC, the number of emergency department visits per year for injuries is about 29.4 million per year, and the number of deaths annually from injuries is around 170,000 per year or 52.2 per 100,000 in the population.
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To win a Wrongful Death case, the estate must prove that the death was caused by a breach of warranty or by the negligence, recklessness, gross negligence or intentional act of the person or company that caused the death.
In a seemingly unusual legal twist, the money obtained in a Wrongful Death case technically does not become part of the decedent’s estate but is the property of the surviving family members and is divided according to the specific rules contained in the Wrongful Death statute found in the Massachusetts General Laws. This can be an important detail in making sure the money goes to family members instead of to creditors of the Decedent. A portion of the law states:
MGL c.229 Section 2
A person who (1) by his negligence causes the death of a person, or (2) by willful, wanton or reckless act causes the death of a person under such circumstances that the deceased could have recovered damages for personal injuries if his death had not resulted, or (3) operates a common carrier of passengers and by his negligence causes the death of a passenger, or (4) operates a common carrier of passengers and by his willful, wanton or reckless act causes the death of a passenger under such circumstances that the deceased could have recovered damages for personal injuries if his death had not resulted, or (5) is responsible for a breach of warranty arising under Article 2 of chapter one hundred and six which results in injury to a person that causes death, shall be liable in damages.
A related statute which allows claims for the conscious suffering that preceded the decedent’s death is:
MGL c.229 Section 6: Conscious suffering; recovery of damages Section 6. In any civil action brought under section two or five A, damages may be recovered for conscious suffering resulting from the same injury, but any sum so recovered shall be held and disposed of by the executors or administrators as assets of the estate of the deceased.
Chicopee
333 Front St., Suite 4,
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Phone: (413) 592-0999
The Wrongful Death statute and the Conscious Suffering statute raise a long list of intricate questions. Let Atty. Shute’s focused, individually tailored strategies help you get the compensation you need and deserve to cope with this difficult time.
Call Chicopee Wrongful Death Atty. Robert Shute now for your Free Case Evaluation: 413-592-0999 or 413-437-7788, Day or Evening.
Free Case Evaluation
Call Chicopee Wrongful Death Atty
Robert Shute now for your Free Case Evaluation:
413-592-0999 or 413-592-0999, Day or Evening.