Baltimore Wrongful Death Lawyer, MD
A wrongful death action arises when another person’s negligence leads to the death of your loved one. There can be considerable costs associated with such an event, including hospital bills and burial or cremation costs. This does not begin to address the emotional and mental costs that suddenly losing a loved one inflicts upon you and your family. When your loved one has died because of a careless accident, look to the Baltimore wrongful death lawyer at The Joel Bieber Firm for guidance and legal representation. We are proud to offer top-notch, compassionate representation when you and your family suffer the sudden loss of a cherished loved one.
Examples of Wrongful Death Cases
There is a wide variety of situations that can support a wrongful death claim. Some of the more common types of wrongful death cases include:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that thousands of people die every year in motor vehicle crashes. A mistake or error in judgment behind the wheel can quickly bring about a fatal car wreck. There is a greater risk of a fatal car wreck when certain factors are present:
- The greater the speed at the time of impact, the greater the chance of a fatal crash
- Impaired driving, as this inhibits a driver’s ability to evade a collision or react appropriately to an impending collision
- A significant disparity in size between the vehicles involved
- Failing to wear a seat belt
Careless or reckless driving practices cause many car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, including fatal crashes. When a fatal collision occurs, a wrongful death lawsuit can follow.
Premises Liability Accidents
When a property owner invites others onto their property to visit or do business but fails to fix or warn about dangerous conditions on the property, a fatal accident can follow.
According to data from the National Safety Council, older Americans are at a greater risk of death from a fall. A fall can happen if a property owner does not clean up a slippery floor or a spill.
Drownings are another tragic way people can perish. The owner of a pool should take precautions to make sure it is secure against unauthorized entry, especially by children. If the pool is open to the public, there should be sufficient safety equipment available for use and adequate warning signs posted. Talk to a Baltimore wrongful death lawyer for brief discussion about filling your claim.
Medical Malpractice
Doctors are not guarantors that your loved one’s treatment plan or procedure will be successful. However, they and other medical professionals must exercise reasonable care to accurately and appropriately diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries.
The pressure to move quickly from one patient to the next or to treat based solely on initial or inconclusive test results can be a costly mistake.
When your loved one dies while under the care of a doctor or surgeon, it is worth examining the circumstances to see if medical negligence played a role. If so, you may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim.
Special Considerations in a Baltimore Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Although wrongful death lawsuits are similar in nature to personal injury lawsuits, there are certain differences between the two. Your Baltimore wrongful death lawyer will want to go over these differences with you in detail so that they do not surprise you when they apply to your case.
First, only certain individuals who are closely related to the deceased can bring a wrongful death claim. It does not matter how close you were with the deceased personally. The deceased’s spouse, children, or parents are the most common individuals who bring wrongful death lawsuits.
If the decedent has no living spouse, children, or parents, any person related by blood or marriage and who depended substantially on the decedent for support may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim.
Next, obtaining full compensation means working with your Baltimore wrongful death lawyer to identify losses the decedent suffered before death, as well as those that you and the surviving family experienced.
Obtaining compensation for funeral expenses but not for the deceased’s final medical expenses can leave you having to pay those expenses unnecessarily.
Finally, recognizing that the emotional loss surviving family members experience after a wrongful death can be immense, Maryland imposes a cap on damages for pain and suffering. This means that there is a limit to the amount of damages you can recover for mental anguish after your loved one’s death, no matter how tragic the circumstances.
The Joel Bieber Firm and our skilled Baltimore wrongful death lawyers dedicate our practice to equipping and empowering you with knowledge about your legal rights. Let us assist you with your recovery today.
How Quickly Must You File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Baltimore?
Maryland’s statute of limitations gives wrongful death plaintiffs three years to file their claim. If they do not file their claim within this three-year window, they may not recover any compensation at all. This three-year time period begins on the date the decedent dies.
There are situations that toll, or pause, this three-year clock. They are rare, however, so it is critical to speak with a Baltimore wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights.
Serving Residents in Baltimore and the Surrounding Area
If an accident has claimed the life of your loved one, The Joel Bieber Firm wants to assist you. A wrongful death suit may provide you and your family with financial security, enabling you to fully and freely grieve the loss of your loved one while knowing your financial future is secure.
Call our office today and request a free consultation with a Baltimore personal injury lawyer who is member of our legal team so we can discuss your case and legal rights with you.
WHAT IS MY CASE WORTH?
Contact an experienced Injury Claims Lawyer at The Joel Bieber Firm today for your free initial consultation.