Wrongful death lawsuits are filed when a person dies as a result of the legal mistakes of another party. These kinds of lawsuits are filed by family members of the deceased person.
Multiple types of serious accidents can occur when people don’t exercise due care, including simple vehicle accidents, medical negligence, and homicide cases. This blog post delves deeper into some common lawsuits arising out of wrongful death.
Typical Examples Of Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Any death of a family member torments the surviving members. However, the anguish can be extensive if the death was caused by the negligence of another party. Multiple factors can lead to wrongful death lawsuits. Here are the common ones:
Car Accidents
Car accidents are the most common causes of wrongful deaths. Data from the National Safety Council indicates that over 40,000 individuals perished in 2018 as a result of car accidents. Many of the car accidents occur due to the negligence of the driver. Fatal accidents happen due to speeding, ignoring road signs, or driving under intoxication. Drivers who cause serious accidents as a result of the factors mentioned above can be held responsible for the death of any individual involved in the crash.
Medical Negligence
Although many doctors and nurses have vast experience, human errors can occur. Deaths can happen when doctors fail to follow the right procedures. In the medical field, the most common cause of wrongful death includes the wrong diagnosis of a disease. Still, deaths occur due to incorrect operations.
Occupational Accidents
Each employer must provide a safe working environment for workers. However, sometimes, employers neglect this obligation because they want to cut costs. The lack of a safe workplace environment can cause fatal accidents.
For example, the employer fails to provide protective gear to workers at the construction site or uses defective machinery.
While many of these accidents take place in labor-intensive industries, they can also occur within the office setting. For instance, an overworked nurse can get involved in a fatal road traffic accident when driving home while exhausted.
Here are the most common causes of on-the-job fatalities:
- Slip accidents: These accidents are fairly common across various industries.
- Falling things accidents: they occur when a worker is hit by falling items in the factory settings
- Explosions: these accidents take place because the employer fails to implement safety measures.
Substandard products
When an individual dies due to a faulty product, the manufacturer of such items can be sued. Manufacturers spend much time to ensure that their products meet safety standards. Examples of defective products that can cause wrongful deaths include fault medicines, poisonous foods, and dangerous product for kids. Here are some defects that can cause fatal accidents:
- Poor designs: A product can cause serious accidents if its design is defective. For example, a car for a disabled individual must be well designed to meet the needs of the person living with the disability driver.
- Marketing issues: Mistakes in product instructions and labeling can cause wrongful deaths.
Pedestrian Accidents
Due to a lack of protection, many pedestrians are hit by vehicles and succumb to the injuries. The leading cause of pedestrian death is driver negligence. And such drivers must be held liable.
Pedestrian accidents can also occur when a city road is poorly designed or lacks signage. In such cases, the city council is held responsible.
Aviation Accidents
Although aviation accidents are uncommon, they can cause many deaths when they happen. Various factors can lead to aviation accidents, including pilot errors and mechanical problems. Liability can be borne by the aircraft maker or the pilot.
Commercial Lorry Fatalities
Commercial trucks can cause serious accidents because of their heavy weight. Heavy commercial vehicle accidents occur due to various factors, such as lack of concentration by the driver, speeding, or dangerous overtaking.
Filing a wrongful death lawsuit
If your loved one has perished as a result of the negligence of another party, it’s critical to sue the person responsible. However, filing such matters can be daunting, especially when you lack legal skills. Instead of using trial and error tactics, it’s prudent to hire an experienced attorney in wrongful death matters. Such a lawyer knows how to assemble evidence and use it to file your case.
