Wrongful-Death

7 Common Causes of Wrongful Death

Wrongful death is devastating and takes a toll on the deceased’s family. They suffer financial hardship, especially from hospital bills, medical and funeral expenses, emotional distress, and loss of consortium. Visit this website to learn more about wrongful death, your rights, and options based on the unique scenario. Wrongful death is primarily preventable, and surviving spouses, children, and parents can file a wrongful death claim. Here are seven common causes of wrongful death.

Workplace Accidents

Death in the workplace due to company negligence can qualify as wrongful death. It may emanate from improper training, an explosion, a machine-related accident, an unsafe work environment, and faulty equipment. Also, exposure to toxins, slips and falls, and transportation accidents can cause wrongful death in the workplace. A successful claim compensates for financial expenses, pain and suffering, future earnings, and loss of love and emotional support.  

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional acts negligently and harms a patient. It claims the lives of 225,000 people annually. Common types of medical negligence are surgical errors, misdiagnosis, medication errors, and substandard care. For instance, a doctor may misdiagnose a patient with brain cancer with a migraine, preventing them from seeking prompt treatment for cancer. The patient may file a malpractice claim, depending on the situation.    

Auto Accidents

Auto accidents commonly cause wrongful death, especially when involving unsafe and careless driving. Any distracted, impaired, and aggressive motorist is likely to crash and kill people. In fact, distracted driving alone killed 3,142 people in 2019. Also, an automaker can be liable for wrongful death if a vehicle has a manufacturing defect. However, any wrongful death claim caused by an auto accident must prove that another party acted carelessly or was at fault.

Defective Products

The law requires products to be safe for public use. However, sometimes products such as cars, medical devices, toys, and machinery come with defects, costing a person’s life. In such a case, the product’s manufacturer or a related entity may be liable for death and obliged to compensate the deceased’s family. While manufacturing defects are the most common, marketing defects also occur, whereby marketers fail to offer accurate information on a product, resulting in death.    

Bicycle Crashes

Although riding a bike has numerous physical and mental benefits, it has inherent risks, especially on busy roads. Bicycles are relatively small and have low visibility, making them vulnerable to vehicle crashes, resulting in injury and even death. However, it is fundamental to note that not all bicycle fatalities are considered wrongful deaths. You must prove that a negligent party caused the death. Perhaps a motorist was careless, intoxicated, or distracted.  

Premises Liability

When property owners fail to maintain occupants’ safety, they are liable for any injury and death, particularly from the owners’ recklessness or willful action. Premises liability takes many forms, from dog bites to slip and fall accidents, construction site negligence, inadequate security, defective staircases, and unsupervised swimming pools.

Aviation Accidents

While aviation accidents are rare, they are lethal when they occur. If a loved one dies in an aviation accident, you may have grounds for filing a wrongful death claim if the accident emanated from another party’s fault. It can be the pilot, airline, aircraft manufacturer, airport operator, or aircraft parts supplier. Perhaps the plane was ill-maintained, or the pilot was inattentive to flying conditions.

Numerous situations can attract wrongful death claims, including workplace accidents, product liability, medical malpractice, and auto accidents. The bottom line is to prove without reasonable doubt that someone acted wrongly or negligently. While a wrongful death claim cannot bring a loved one back, it offers much-needed closure and compensation, enhancing recovery.

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