Losing a loved one at any time can feel incredibly traumatic. Losing a loved one due to another person's negligence, on the other hand, can feel even more devastating. Not only do you have to deal with the impact of your loved one's death, including planning the funeral and burial, but you may also face significant financial issues that arise from losing your loved one's income. Reach out to a Columba wrongful death lawyer.
At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we understand the challenges of losing a loved one to another party's negligence. We strive to help our clients recover compensation and seek justice when someone else's negligence causes those losses. Contact us at (843) 232-0944 to discuss your rights after losing a loved one.
- How Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Columbia Wrongful Death Claim
- Compensation After the Loss of a Loved One in Columbia: What to Expect
- Understanding Wrongful Death Claims in Columbia
- Dealing With the Insurance Company After the Death of a Loved One in Columbia
- Protecting Your Right to Compensation After the Death of a Loved One in Columbia
- ColumbiaWrongful Death FAQ
- Contact a Columbia Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
How Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Columbia Wrongful Death Claim
When you need to file a wrongful death claim after losing a loved one, you may have many questions about your next steps. At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, you will receive compassionate, aggressive legal counsel that will help guide you through the claim process. We have a history of achieving substantial results for our clients, including a notable case in which we recovered $750,000 in a wrongful death claim.
We Do Not Issue False Promises to Our Clients
When you find yourself dealing with a wrongful death claim following the loss of a loved one, you do not need to deal with false promises and fake offers. At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we offer real advice about your claim, including a solid assessment of the compensation you likely deserve for the loss of a loved one. Then, we help our clients fight for that compensation.
We Fight to Help You Maximize Your Results
Losing a loved one can leave you with considerable financial costs. Furthermore, you may need to rebuild your life after those devastating losses. At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we fight to help you maximize your claim results so that you can have the funds you need, whether you need to cover funeral costs, final expenses, or the cost of rebuilding your life.
We Make the Legal Support You Need Affordable
At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we do not get paid until we help you win your case. Instead of having to come up with legal fees upfront, you can pay after we win. Many of our clients find that this simple strategy puts legal support within reach.
Are you ready to move forward with a wrongful death claim that can help you get the compensation you deserve following the loss of a loved one? Contact Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers today to discuss your claim.
Compensation After the Loss of a Loved One in Columbia: What to Expect
When you lose a loved one due to another party's negligence, your family can face many financial and non-financial challenges. At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we cannot guarantee the compensation you will recover as part of your wrongful death claim.
However, we can work with you to lay out the damages and losses faced by your family.
- Funeral and burial expenses. A funeral can cost thousands of dollars, which your family may not have upfront.
- Your loved one's final medical expenses. If your loved one lingered after the accident and received medical care, your family may struggle to recover.
- The loss of your loved one's income. Losing the primary wage earner in your family can cause immense financial hardship and leave you struggling to figure out how to best recover from those losses.
- The loss of services your loved one performed for the family, which you will need to pay someone else to cover following your loved one's loss. For example, the weekly cost of childcare for a single child can rise to almost $300.
In addition to compensation for the tangible financial losses associated with the loss of your loved one, your family may also have the right to pursue compensation for non-financial damages.
If you lost your spouse, that might mean claiming compensation for loss of consortium or the loss of the connection with your spouse and the physical and emotional support that assumes. Children who have lost their parents can include compensation for the anguish of no longer having a parental figure to guide their journey into adulthood.
Understanding Wrongful Death Claims in Columbia
In South Carolina, you have up to three years after the date of an accident to file a claim that will help you pursue compensation for your losses. If you attempt to file a wrongful death claim after the statute of limitations expires, the court may refuse to hear your claim. However, you can find exceptions that can extend the statute of limitations and give you more time to file the claim your family needs.
Causes of Accidental Death
Around 107 employees die at work each year across South Carolina. Many of those deaths occur due to transportation-related accidents, including motor vehicle accidents. You may also have the right to file a death claim due to premises liability accidents, including falling buildings or damage caused by a slip and fall, or if your loved one dies as a result of medical malpractice. South Carolina also sees an average of 15 to 30 boating accident fatalities yearly.
When You Can File a Wrongful Death Claim
You may file a wrongful death claim when the negligence of another party causes the death of a loved one. Consider whether your loved one could have filed a personal injury claim if he had lived. If someone else bore a duty of care to your loved one and violated that duty of care, leading to an accident that resulted in your loved one's death, your family may have the right to file a claim for compensation.
Dealing With the Insurance Company After the Death of a Loved One in Columbia
Dealing with the death of a loved one in Columbia can feel incredibly stressful all on its own. Factor in an insurance claim, and you may struggle with high frustration levels. Insurance companies often use various tactics designed to reduce the compensation they have to pay out to the injured party or, in the case of wrongful death, the injured party's family. Meanwhile, your family needs that compensation to help you get your footing after the loss of a loved one.
The insurance company may:
- Issue a low settlement offer for your loved one's loss, including a settlement offer that fails to account for your family's financial losses and devastation.
- Deny liability for your loved one's death, including trying to claim that your loved one caused the incident that led to death.
- Delay processing on your claim, including refusing to get back to you promptly or giving you more information about your right to file a claim.
At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we understand the many challenges that the insurance company may attempt to throw your way, and we stand ready to help you fight for the compensation your family needs and deserves. We have the resources to take on even the big names in insurance, whether you find yourself fighting auto insurance companies or premises liability companies.
Protecting Your Right to Compensation After the Death of a Loved One in Columbia
When you lose a loved one in Columbia, whether in a boating accident in Lake Murray, an auto accident along I-20, or a negligent security shooting incident, you must protect your family's right to compensation.
- Document everything you know about the incident. If your loved one had the chance to make a statement, write down anything your loved one said about the accident.
- Get in touch with our lawyers as soon as possible. Our Columbia wrongful death lawyers can walk you through the claim process and explain the compensation your family deserves, which can help you manage the claim process more effectively.
- Let your lawyer deal with the insurance company on your behalf. Handling the insurance company can cause great distress in many wrongful death claims. Furthermore, a lawyer can help you more effectively claim the compensation you deserve.
- Document all the costs you face related to your loved one's loss, including costs like funeral expenses or the cost of replacing services your loved one used to perform for the family.
- Journal about the loss of your loved one and the distress it caused.
At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we help guide our clients through the entire wrongful death claim process and provide support at every stage of the claim so you can feel more confident that you have recovered the compensation you deserve.
ColumbiaWrongful Death FAQ
Who Has the Right to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Columbia?
You can file a Columbia wrongful death claim when another party's negligence leads to the death of a loved one. However, each family can file only one wrongful death claim, so the party with the closest familial relationship to the deceased generally has the right to file that claim.
The deceased's spouse, if they left one, usually has the first right to file a wrongful death claim. If the deceased does not have a spouse, his children can file a wrongful death claim; and if the deceased has neither spouse nor children, his parents may file a claim.
In some cases, the deceased's estate must file a wrongful death claim. A lawyer can determine who can file a claim in your specific case.
When Should I Contact a Lawyer Regarding a Wrongful Death Claim in Columbia?
While the South Carolina statute of limitations allows you three years to file a lawsuit, you should not wait until the statute of limitations nears to contact a lawyer.
Often, it proves more difficult to gather evidence and get much-needed information about a claim with time. Instead, call our lawyers as soon after your loved one's death as possible to better understand how to proceed with your claim and protect your family's right to compensation.
How Do I Know I Need a Lawyer to Handle a Columbia Wrongful Death Claim?
Any time you lose a loved one due to the negligence of another party, you need a lawyer to help you navigate the difficult claim process and deal with the insurance company. Handling the claim on your own can make it more difficult for your family to get the compensation you really deserve following the loss of a loved one.
A lawyer can:
- Collect evidence that clearly shows who caused your loved one's death and what compensation you deserve for those losses
- Provide more information about the compensation you really deserve, which can make it easier for you to collect those much-needed funds
- Fight on your behalf as you deal with the insurance company
- Decrease your stress as you navigate the claim process and deal with the loss of your loved one
With a lawyer on your side, you can feel much more confident about the overall outcome of your claim, including your odds of recovering fair compensation for all the damages your family has dealt with following your loved one's loss.
Contact a Columbia Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
Losing a loved one offers enough challenges. Dealing with the insurance company to recover compensation for the loss of your loved one should not top the list. Reach out to a Columbia personal injury lawyer. Contact Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers today at (843) 232-0944 for your free consultation.
