I help families who have lost loved ones in accidents involving an 18-wheeler or other commercial truck get justice by filing a fatal accident claim against the truck driver, trucking company and others responsible for the accident.
The value of the life lost is immeasurable, and the thought of filing a lawsuit may be difficult because no amount of money can compensate for the loss. However, families want answers and to hold those responsible for the death accountable. In addition, many families in this situation suffer economic loss because of the death and need financial help. I believe those responsible for a fatal accident should compensate the family for the economic loss, loss of companionship and other damages.
Wrongful Death Law
In a fatal accident case involving an 18-wheeler and auto (or other vehicle), the family of the driver or a passenger has the right, under the state “wrongful death” statute, to sue the truck driver, trucking company, freight company and others if there is evidence that the 18-wheeler driver caused the accident, at least in part. Finding all of the responsible parties and all of the evidence necessary to win a wrongful death claim is generally difficult. This is one reason it is important to hire a semi truck accident lawyer that has won these kinds of cases. Contact me for a free consultation and ask me about my experience.
Who Can Sue for Wrongful Death after a Fatal Accident?
Under wrongful death laws, a lawsuit for wrongful death after a fatal accident has to be filed by a representative of the family, generally a wrongful death trustee, who has been appointed by a court. This person makes decisions about the litigation (lawsuit) on behalf of the family. After the wrongful death claim is won via a settlement or trial verdict, the money is dispersed by the trustee to family members. The amount each family member gets is determined by an order of the court, not by the whim of the trustee.
This is a confusing aspect of wrongful death law, and you can contact me for help.
Time Limit for Filing a Wrongful Death Claim
You only have a limited amount of time to file a fatal accident claim under the wrongful death laws. This is called the “statute of limitations”, and it is just that, a specific law stating exactly how much time someone has to file a lawsuit.
The reason for the statutory limitation is that evidence can grow cold. Witnesses can forget what they saw and tangible evidence can deteriorate.
The statute of limitations is not the only reason time is of the essence in an accident case involving an 18-wheeler or other commercial truck. If you wait too long to contact me, the truck driver and trucking company may have altered or otherwise destroyed valuable evidence. The first thing I do when a family contacts me in a fatal accident case is to file a spoliation letter. This tells the trucking company they must preserve specific evidence that can prove the truck driver and the company were at fault.
Contact me or another wrongful death lawyer at our law firm for a free consultation at 888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form. You can ask for Eric, and I read every contact form that is submitted. For additional information, please see Semi Truck Accident Lawyer and Semi Accident Wrongful Death.
Our law firm has offices in Minneapolis, MN. Attorney David Szerlag is of counsel for the firm, and he has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island.