People sometimes say that the time they’re living in is the best time to live. It could be because they can afford many things, or it could be something as simple as the natural and social environment around them. However, people meet accidents every day, and some of these result in death.
Deaths are a hard pill to swallow for friends and family alike, and they are much more than that, considering that they died because of another person’s carelessness. In light of this, some consider hiring a houston wrongful death attorney to help settle the pain inside. Nevertheless, it would be best to know what wrongful deaths are and when you need one.
What Is A Wrongful Death?
According to the definition, wrongful death is a particular case that someone files because of the death of a loved one. The reason people file claims like these is because of negligence or intentional acts made by the defendant. In simple terms, people file these cases if they see that the people in charge are responsible for the death.
However, wrongful death cases mean that the victim dies because of the accident or incident. If the victim survives, this would be a personal injury case instead.
The Many Different Sides of Wrongful Death
There are many forms of wrongful deaths that one person may file, based on the situation. Of course, being a Federal State, the United States has different penalties based on where the incidents happened. Nonetheless, the grounds for wrongful deaths are the same in each area of the country.
Automobile Accidents
The most common of all the cases of wrongful deaths come from automobile accidents. According to statistics, in Houston, there were 188 accidents every day in 2019. However, this is an inaccurate number as the state cannot record all of these cases. Houston had roughly three thousand instances of unknown severity and twenty thousand unknown injuries. If these were to happen to someone close, people could accept a fine from the party who caused the accident.
However, accidents may also be caused by commercial vehicles such as trucks and rigs. Instead of sanctioning the driver, the victims of the loss may demand from the hiring company.
Pedestrian Accidents
Automobile and pedestrian accidents go hand-in-hand as cars or trucks may cause the death of the people walking around the area. There is no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time as the driver, being in a vehicle, is the one who causes the result. Their negligence for even the shortest amount of time is grounds for wrongful death claims, given that the result is an individual’s death.
Catastrophic Injuries
It gets a bit more confusing when it comes to catastrophic injuries, as these are the conditions that may permanently change the lives of individuals. Some of the injuries considered “catastrophic” are brain damage, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis. Usually, these are caused by automobile and pedestrian accidents.
Given that an individual survives, these are considered personal injury cases. However, if one intends to file a wrongful death claim, the incident victim must pass away first.
Medical Malpractices
Medical malpractices are wrongful death claims aimed at medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and paramedics. Possible wrongful death claims have many possibilities here as parties may file a case because the patient receives the wrong medicine.
Medical procedures that weren’t done to the best of the surgeon’s abilities is another. Paramedics not bringing the patient to the hospital at the soonest possible time may also be grounds for these claims.
Workplace Accidents
Offices of big companies are no exception to these either as they have to take care of their employees. So while providing a work-friendly environment, they must also make sure that the office is in the best condition. If they don’t, a long list of problems could pop up.
For one, construction sites are dangerous, and they can cause blunt force trauma and mesothelioma, both of which can lead to death. Another example is in the office space, as an oil and gas leak may cause explosions which could kill multiple employees at once.
The above-stated cases are only a fraction of the many wrongful death claims people may file. Some other examples include explosions, defective products, food poisoning, and even nursing home negligence.
Nevertheless, they all have one thing in common. The death could have happened out of negligence or intention. Either one of them is grounds for a case and a form of compensation for the victim’s side.
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