A Wrongful Death Lawsuit Can Help You Recover Your Losses

Losing a loved one unexpectedly to a tragic and preventable accident can be devastating. Losing that person to the negligence of someone else only adds to the feelings of pain, frustration, and loss that accompany such a death. If your loved one died as a result of someone else's negligence in Massachusetts, you may be entitled to file a Massachusetts wrongful death lawsuit against the person(s) responsible.

The term "wrongful death" is used to describe a legal claim against a person or entity liable (responsible) for the death of someone else. This can apply to a drunk driver that caused a fatal car accident, a doctor or medical staff member that failed to exercise "due care" during a medical procedure, a pharmaceutical company that failed to warn its patients about deadly side effects, or the manufacturer of an unsafe toy that resulted in the death of a child.

Massachusetts Wrongful Death Lawsuits vs. Criminal Charges

Unlike criminal cases which must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed a crime, Massachusetts wrongful death lawsuits are civil cases which rely on the "preponderance of evidence", which means your Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer can win your civil case by proving the death was more than likely a result of the defendant's actions than not.

This is a lower burden of proof than that required by the criminal justice system, therefore a negligent party may be found "not guilty" in a criminal trial, but determined liable for their actions in a civil case.

While a lawsuit won't bring back your loved one, it can help hold the negligent parties responsible for their actions and give you and your family the monetary compensation for the financial burdens you may be facing following the loss of your loved one.

The Massachusetts Wrongful Death Statute allows the family members of the deceased victim to receive compensation to help pay for outstanding medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of future income from the deceased, as well as damages for pain and suffering, loss of companionship, and emotional non-economic factors.

If you are considering filing a Massachusetts wrongful death lawsuit, it is important to retain an experienced Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer who has successfully handled cases similar to yours. While you are interviewing wrongful death lawyers, do not be afraid to ask important questions such as: how many wrongful death cases have you handled in Massachusetts; of these cases, how many have you won; and, what is the biggest settlement or verdict you have obtained for your clients in similar situations?

Reputable personal injury law firms in Massachusetts will offer the victims of catastrophic accidents a free legal consultation. This offer is often extended to the family members of deceased victims looking to file a wrongful death lawsuit for the untimely passing of their loved one. In addition to a free evaluation of your accident case, many personal injury lawyers in Massachusetts will work on a contingent basis meaning, there are no legal fees unless they win your case.

In delicate legal situations like these, you need a Massachusetts attorney who will work tirelessly to balance your concerns with the rigorous demands of the legal system.

Massachusetts personal injury lawyer, Thomas M. Kiley, has been representing individuals against insurance companies since 1976. He was referred to as the "Million Dollar Man" in a featured article by the Boston Herald Sunday Magazine in it's "Personal Best Series." This was based on his record of obtaining million dollar verdicts and settlements in complex cases in which he represented injured victims against insurance companies. To learn more please visit his firm's website at http://www.TomKileyLaw.com.

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Prescription Errors and Wrongful Death

Prescription medications have done wonders for society. Individuals with incurable ailments are able to live long, normal lives thanks to medical advances that have improved drugs over the years. However, our heavy reliance on prescription drugs makes an error that much more dangerous.

Prescription errors refer to any manufacturing or marketing defect on the part of the pharmaceutical company as well as any pharmacy error that may cause a prescription to be incorrectly filled. Individuals who receive these errant prescriptions may be in grave danger.

Since prescriptions have such specific purposes, individuals who are denied the drugs that they need may be untreated for their ailments. This may allow an ailment to worsen or advance, which can be deadly depending on the specific ailment.

Additionally, there is a chance that the drug an individual takes is toxic to individuals without the intended ailment. Because of this, individuals may suffer symptoms of poisoning when they are given the wrong prescriptions.

If the drug had a manufacturing error, then it may contain unsafe chemicals and elements that can be damaging to individuals who take it.

Individuals who take the wrong medications may suffer a number of effects, including heart troubles, difficulty breathing, poisoning, internal bleeding, or brain damage. Each of these effects may, in turn, lead to the individual's death.

Families of wrongful death victims may be entitled to financial compensation. These families should bring their cases to experienced wrongful death lawyers to learn more about which pharmaceutical company or pharmacy to target in a wrongful death lawsuit.

If you have lost a loved one because of a prescription error, you should fight to hold the responsible party accountable for its actions. Discuss your legal rights and options with the Pennsylvania wrongful death attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., today.

James Witherspoon

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Factors That Go Into Wrongful Death Settlement Decisions

Unlike what you see on dramatic television shows, the vast majority of cases settle long before the trial ever comes around. There are a host of issues that go into making the decision for both parties. In this article, we take a look at a couple that may be less obvious, but need to be considered in wrongful death actions.

The facts of a case dictate its outcome. More pointedly, the evidence supporting those facts dictates the result. To this end, there is an old saying among lawyers. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the facts are against you, argue the law. If both are against you, try to make it personal with opposing counsel. Some say this last approach was what kept OJ Simpson out of jail on his murder charges. Regardless, the evidence and law in a case are critical, but there are two other factors to take into account.

You have a wrongful death case wherein your spouse was killed in a car crash involving a dump truck. Liability is clearly in your favor, but there is a problem. The dump truck driver was self-employed. The only thing he really owned was his truck. He wasn't married and didn't own a home and so on. The truck is worth about $20,000, but he did have insurance for another $100,000. The insurance company is offering the full $100,000 to settle the case. In this scenario, taking the case to trial is not really worth it. You could get a judgment for a trillion dollars, but you will never see the money. In the OJ case, the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown ultimately received a $30 million plus judgment. They've recovered a tiny fraction of it because most of his assets were shielded. In short, it was a hollow victory.

The second issue to consider is the jury reputation. Every jury is different, but communities show trends when it comes to their views on cases. Some areas of the country produce juries that almost always side with doctors in medical malpractice cases unless liability is absolutely clear such as San Diego. Just up the coast in Long Beach, the opposite is true. In deciding whether to settle a wrongful death case, knowing how juries tend to act in your area is a critical issue.

The decision to settle a case is often a simple one. There is usually something that arises that clearly dictates one result or another. When evaluating the case with your attorney, make sure to remember to consider these two issues.

Thomas Ajava is with BirminghamWrongfulDeathLawyer.com - find a quality Birmingham wrongful death attorney to handle your case and get you through a tough time.

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