Newberry Wrongful Death Lawyer

Did you lose a loved one in an unexpected accident in Newberry, FL? If someone else was to blame for your loss, you may be entitled to substantial compensation for wrongful death. A skilled Newberry wrongful death lawyer at Allen Law Firm, P.A. can help you fight for the money your family deserves.

Our lawyers have nearly three decades of experience helping grieving families get justice for unimaginable losses. We’re prepared to do the same for you.

We know that life is difficult right now–and we want to help. Call our law offices in Newberry, Florida at (877) 255-3652, to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options today.

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How Allen Law Firm, P.A. Can Help After the Wrongful Death of a Loved One in Newberry, FL

Losing a loved one is usually a tragic and overwhelming event. Losing them in an unexpected accident can create a unique set of challenges. Often, accident victims are taken from their families without warning–and without time to financially prepare for the loss.

Unfortunately, bills and expenses continue to add up even while you’re dealing with your grief. Getting compensation from the responsible parties can help ease your family’s financial burdens. Having an experienced Newberry personal injury lawyer in your corner can make all the difference in the world in these cases.

When you choose Allen Law Firm, P.A, to protect your interests, you’ll have a lawyer who will:

Explain your legal rights and options
Stand by you throughout the entire legal process
Conduct the comprehensive investigation needed to find proof that someone else caused your loved one’s death
Fight back when the insurance company tries to pin the blame on the victim
Negotiate to get every dollar available for your family

The legal system in Florida is complicated. Our Newberry personal injury attorneys have been handling cases like yours for almost 30 years. With these decades of experience in your corner, you’ll have the best shot at recovering the full compensation your family needs.

Are you ready to learn more? Call today to schedule a free case review.

How Common is Wrongful Death in Newberry?

Fatal accidents happen across Florida every day. In 2019 alone, 3,351 people lost their lives in slip and falls across the state. Another 3,303 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2020.

Nationwide, CDC research has found that motor vehicle accidents and fall accidents are the leading causes of unintentional death every year.

Under Florida laws, surviving spouses, children, parents and other dependents are entitled to recover compensation if someone else’s negligent or reckless acts caused a fatal accident.

What is My Newberry Wrongful Death Case Worth?

There’s really no “average” settlement amount in wrongful death cases. Like any other personal injury case, judges and juries weigh multiple factors in arriving at the value of your wrongful death claim.

Some of those factors include:

Your loved one’s age and life expectancy
The age and life expectancy of surviving spouses, children, and dependents
The value of any financial support your loved one would have provided over a lifetime
The cost of replacing your loved one’s household services
How much money your loved one would have saved over a lifetime (loss of inheritance)

It’s never easy to put a dollar value on the loss of your loved one’s future. The value of your case can often be established by looking at the victim’s age, education level, work history, and earning history.

Pain and suffering damages are also available to the surviving family in wrongful death cases. You deserve damages for your own emotional suffering–as well as the suffering your loved one endured between the time of their injury and death.

What Types of Damages Are Available in Wrongful Death Cases?

Under the Florida Wrongful Death Act, surviving family members may be entitled to damages for:

Loss of the loved one’s support and services, beginning from the date of injury or death
Loss of companionship and protection for the victim’s surviving spouse
Lost parental companionship, support, and guidance
Emotional pain and suffering
Loss of prospective inheritance

Loss of services includes compensation for household contributions, even if the victim did not financially support the family. Survivors may also be entitled to reimbursement for any medical treatment or funeral expenses they paid on behalf of the decedent.

Damages Available to the Victim’s Estate

The victim’s estate is entitled to additional damages if the victim survived for a period of time after the accident. Those damages include both economic and non-economic damages.

In other words, they reimburse the estate and, eventually, the family, for the financial costs incurred between the date of injury and the date of death. They also provide compensation for the victim’s physical and emotional suffering.

Those damages typically provide compensation for:

Medical expenses for medical care from the date of injury to the date of death
Lost wages, profits, and income
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Funeral expenses

Remember that the insurance company won’t hand these damages over automatically. You’ll have to demand them. You’ll also have to prove how much your losses are worth in dollar terms.

Calculating the value of your pain and suffering can be extremely difficult. Our attorneys in Alachua County are here to help. All you have to do is call for legal advice today.

Can I Recover Damages if My Loved One is Being Blamed for a Fatal Accident in Florida?

The same principles that apply in personal injury cases transfer over to wrongful death lawsuits. Accident victims are often blamed for their own injuries. Similarly, victims of fatal accidents may be blamed for causing their own death.

Liability is divided between all responsible parties under the modified comparative fault laws in Florida. That means you can still potentially recover damages if your loved one is blamed for the accident. Your damages award will be reduced to account for their percentage of fault. If they were 51% or more responsible for the accident, however, you won’t be able to collect damages.

A personal injury lawyer can help in cases involving shared fault. We’ll conduct our own investigation to find out what caused your loved one’s death. That way, we can minimize the impact of the insurance company’s “blame the victim” tactics.

What Causes Most Fatal Accidents in Newberry, Florida?

At Allen Law Firm, P.A., we handle all types of fatal accident cases.

Some of the most common causes of wrongful death in Newberry include:

If your loved one died on the job, you may also be entitled to survivor benefits under Florida workers’ compensation laws.

Regardless of how your loved one was killed, we’ll fight to recover the maximum compensation that’s available in your case.

How Do I Prove Negligence in a Florida Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

You aren’t automatically entitled to compensation if you lose a loved one in a tragic accident. To get the fair compensation you need, you have to prove that another party’s acts or omissions caused your loved one’s death.

That means you usually have to prove negligence. Negligence is a failure to use reasonable care. In a legal sense, negligence means failing to act in the way that a reasonable person would have acted under the same circumstances.

Proving negligence in Florida means offering proof of:

The responsible party’s duty of care
Breach of that duty
Causation
Damages

Negligent behavior includes doing careless things and failing to do things that a reasonable person would have done. To recover compensation, you have to prove that those acts or omissions directly caused your loved one’s death.

Of course, there are a number of different legal theories that can be used to support your right to compensation. The at-fault party in a case involving defective products or a dog bite might be strictly liable for damages, so that you don’t have to prove negligence.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit for Wrongful Death in Florida?

Taking legal action can be painful if you’ve recently lost a loved one. Although it might seem unfair, there’s only a limited amount of time to recover financial compensation for your losses. This time limit is called the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations in Florida wrongful death cases is two years. That means you have two years from the date of your loved one’s death to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Once the time limit expires, you lose your right to compensation.

You don’t have to handle the legal process alone. Call today to learn more about how to create an attorney-client relationship with an experienced Newberry wrongful death attorney.

Contact a Newberry Wrongful Death Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Wrongful death cases are often complex–and multiple parties might ultimately share the blame. You shouldn’t have to navigate the legal system alone. Call an experienced Newberry wrongful death lawyer at Allen Law Firm, P.A. to get the legal help you need today. Remember, your first consultation is always free.