COOKEVILLE WRONGFUL DEATH LAWYER
A harsh reality of life is that we all tend to experience the injury or loss of a loved one at some point. Nothing can prepare you for the grief you will experience when you deal with this challenge.
While some of our family and friends may pass away due to natural causes, others might be victims in the event of personal injury and wrongful death due to the negligence of someone else, even if it is an accident.
After losing a loved one due to the negligence or carelessness of another person, it is natural to feel frustrated, angry, and confused. You are likely wondering how something like this could happen, and how you are going to move forward after the accident.
Seeking Legal Assistance
The law is designed to protect the rights of individuals and entities when disagreements or conflicts arise, and when you enter into this process, having an expert in your corner is critical to your success.
A wrongful death attorney in Cookeville, Tennessee can seek justice for the injury and loss of your loved one. The legal team in our Cookeville office is dedicated to helping you through this complex process. Though you may not understand the law on this topic fully, we do.
By filing a claim against the negligent party, the law states that you can receive financial compensation that will help offset the financial burden the loss has placed on you.
Whether that loss is due to funeral costs, the lost wages of the victim, a reduction in access to certain resources, or other financial shortcomings, it is important to understand the opportunity for alleviating that burden. The law in Tennessee covers various types of damages that you may be eligible for.
While filing a claim will not bring your loved one back, it will hold the responsible party accountable if an accident occurs. If you live in Cookeville, TN 38501, then our team is perfectly placed to be the solution you desperately need, with a long history of satisfied clients.
Common Causes of Wrongful Death
There are a variety of causes that can lead to the personal injury and death of someone as a result of negligence according to the law in Tennessee. Any time one person acts carelessly, it places the lives of others at risk. Some of the most common causes of wrongful death are as follows:
- Car accident
- Truck accident
- Motorcycle accident
- Boat accident
- Defective products
- Medical malpractice
- Slip and fall accidents and other premises liability accidents
All of the above have the potential to be so severe they result in injury and wrongful death. When they do, a Cookeville attorney will investigate to determine who was liable for it and how the law in Tennessee can support their clients’ needs.
First, let’s go into a little more detail about these different scenarios.
Motor Vehicle Accident Cases
Anytime you are operating a motor vehicle, be it a truck, motorcycle, car, or boat, there is the potential for personal injury. These vehicles are large pieces of equipment, often weighing upwards of thousands of pounds. Add to that the high speeds at which they are operated and the risk of injury or death increases significantly.
When a motor vehicle accident results in the worst-case scenario, and another driver is at fault, the law states that you have the right to pursue damages to hold the responsible driver accountable.
Defective Products
This encompasses a wide range of potential issues, but it essentially means that a product, by working in a way that it was not intended to, results in an injury or wrongful death. This could mean anything from a faulty appliance that explodes or a food product that contains harmful chemicals that it should not.
You could even have a case if the result is just a personal injury as opposed to a loss of life. If a defective product leads to these tragic outcomes, the law may allow you to pursue compensation.
Medical Malpractice
If your loved one is undergoing healthcare or in the care of a doctor and negligence leads to injury and death, then you should contact a law firm as soon as possible. This type of case could include a doctor who failed in their duties or faulty medical equipment amid a procedure.
Not only will lawyers be able to help with recuperating lost wages or other financial burdens, but they can help ensure that this type of negligence is prevented in the future for other patients at the practice. Medical law in Tennessee is meant to protect the rights of patients, and using it to effect change after an injury or accident with the help of an attorney can bring you peace of mind.
Slip and Fall Accidents
If someone is on another entity or individual’s property and a slip and fall results in a personal injury that turns fatal, then you could be entitled to a settlement for damages.
A slip and fall accident could be the result of a wet floor, an uneven walking surface, debris, or even spillage. If the property owner is at fault for having known about the danger and had ample time to correct it, then you may have the law on your side.
In the event of any of these types of incidents occurring and causing a personal injury and loss of life, the first step is to figure out if a claim can be filed for wrongful death. Although the tragedy may have been an accident, there still needs to be accountability within the bounds of Tennessee law.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim According to the Law?
The wrongful death state laws in Tennessee are very clear about which parties may file a claim after an accident results in a personal injury and loss of life. Generally speaking, if the deceased had a surviving spouse, they can file a wrongful death claim. If the deceased, however, was not married, then their children can pursue a wrongful death action.
The law also states that minor children cannot file a claim because it is presumed that they cannot do so. If a child of the deceased is a minor at the time, the court will appoint a guardian that can file a claim on the child’s behalf.
If the deceased did not have a spouse or children, their parents can typically file a claim. In other cases, the person named as executor or personal representative in the estate plan of the deceased can also file a claim.
Understanding who can file the claim is the crucial first step in a case like this. If you are unsure, you can always ask a legal team who handles similar cases with other clients if the law will allow you to do so.
Statute of Limitations on Wrongful Death Claims
Another important factor involved in determining whether or not you can file a claim is the statute of limitations. All personal injury cases have limits for when they can be initiated. In the case of wrongful death in Tennessee, the law states that a claim must be filed within one year of the date on which the victim passed away.
Notice that this time limit refers to the date of the passing and not the day of the incident. This means that if someone gets into a car accident and suffers a terrible personal injury, but does not die until a few weeks later as a result, the year-long period would begin at the time of death.
If you try to pursue a case after this limit, the law prevents you from receiving compensation of any kind. As one of our clients, we would ensure that your claim is filed within this time limit with the help of an attorney.
The Claim Process
One of the most difficult experiences to go through is the loss of a loved one. You are dealing with very heavy emotions of grief, pain, anger, frustration, and sadness. Though you may want to seek justice yourself, you must look to an attorney who can view the process through a professional lens.
This is a hard time that you are going through, and the worst thing you can do is try to navigate the complexities of the law on your own.
Consult with a Wrongful Death Attorney
Your first step is to contact lawyers who understand the legalities of this type of case. Our legal team at Mitch Grissim & Associates in Tennessee can offer you a free consultation to answer any questions you may have. Our clients come to trust our expertise and feel confident in our ability to pursue justice.
The attorneys at our law firm can discuss with you the statute of limitations, whether or not negligence was involved, what type of accident occurred, and the potential strength of your case should you choose to pursue one.
The attorneys in Cookeville, TN are available to serve those in our community seeking to file a claim. We have worked with many clients in their pursuit of justice and damages.
What is the Nature of the Accident?
What caused the injury that led to death? Was there a hazard due to the negligence of a property owner? Was a driver irresponsible on the road and caused an accident? Did an injury from a defective product become fatal?
Communicating with a legal team about the circumstances of the accident will be a necessary step in following the law.
Discuss Damages Incurred
Many financial ramifications could be a reason for seeking a settlement in this case. It could be a reduced earning capacity if the victim was your spouse and had an income. You could also have lost access to certain resources that this person had. Maybe there is a large fee associated with their funeral that you will have difficulty paying.
All these factors and more could contribute to the level of compensation that may be possible.
Building Your Case
This part of the claims process can be tricky as you navigate the intricacies of the law. There are many things that you will have to prove with the help of an attorney to win the case. Compiling evidence of negligence and the fact that the injury and/or wrongful death occurred due to the fault of someone else will determine if you are successful.
An attorney knows what kind of evidence is compelling enough to seek, and how to go about the process legally in Tennessee. Obtaining evidence illegally could cause it to be thrown out and disregarded. The law is complicated and engaging with an attorney to assist you with this process is crucial.
Achieving Justice for Your Loved One
Though no amount of money will ever be able to replace the presence of your loved one, it can bring justice in a small way by holding the responsible party accountable. As one of our clients, that is our main objective for you.
Additionally, it can alleviate the financial burden that may be placed on family members as a result of the loss. Including a lawyer in the process will increase your chances of finding closure while following the proper procedures of the law.
Our Wrongful Death Lawyers in Cookeville Want to Help with Your Claim
Losing a loved one is never easy but when a personal injury and death is caused by the negligence of other people, it is even more difficult. If you have lost a loved one, our Cookeville, TN wrongful death lawyers at Mitch Grissim & Associates are here to help our clients benefit from this aspect of the law.
We are dedicated to seeking justice for those that have lost their lives due to someone else’s careless actions leading to an accident, and we can help your family, too. Why choose our firm?
We Understand the Community
Our attorneys live in Tennessee and are a part of the community. Nothing breaks our hearts more than to see neighbors going through difficult times when they lose a loved one and face financial uncertainty on top of the grief.
We care about our clients because we live near them. Our team practices law in the same neighborhoods that you live and work in. We see ourselves as more than just lawyers, but as supportive partners who care about the people of Cookeville, TN, and the greater Putnam County area.
We Know Tennessee Law
Fighting for our clients is just one part of the equation. Our legal team is full of attorneys who understand the tiniest details and intricacies of the law. Pursuing wrongful death actions or any type of personal injury cases requires a wealth of knowledge to serve Cookeville, TN residents well.
Mitch Grissim & Associates is a law firm dedicated to defending the rights of clients and guiding them through a complex process during an emotional time, all while staying within the bounds of the law.
Accidents Happen
Many cases involving personal injury or wrongful death are the result of an accident. But most if not all accidents are completely preventable. That is why we do what we do. Our legal team in Tennessee wants to work with clients to prevent as many tragedies as possible. We have seen injuries and deaths occur in all kinds of circumstances, and we must make the community a safer and more responsible place.
Contact an Attorney in Cookeville, Tennessee Today
Though we hope you never have to go through this process, you deserve a legal team that has your back in the pursuit of injury cases or wrongful death actions. Working with a Tennessee attorney will give you guidance, justice, a fair settlement, and a small sense of closure as you grieve.
Trying to work through your emotions and complete a legal process at the same time is a truly heavy burden. Our team can do the heavy lifting in regards to understanding the law and using it to protect the well-being of your loved one’s family members.
Call us today at 615-255-9999 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation, or give us a visit at our Cookeville office.
