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Accidents that cause bodily injuries also have the possibility of leading to death. If you are a loved one of someone who passed away in a preventable accident, you may qualify to file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit. Doing so can help you hold the at-fault party accountable for their actions.
Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, is a personal injury law firm that also handles wrongful death cases for people in North Carolina, including Hickory. If you are looking for a lawyer to help you pursue compensation for a loved one’s death, allow us to review your case for free.
You May Be Able to Recover Damages After Losing a Loved One Unexpectedly
Wrongful death cases allow victims’ surviving loved ones to hold liable parties accountable for their negligence or reckless actions. If you have been afflicted with several damages as a result of a loved one’s fatal accident, our team wants to help you start on the path toward justice.
Who Can File for Wrongful Death Damages in North Carolina?
Per GS §28A-18-2, a personal representative or collector of the decedent may file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit. Common examples of people who may be accepted as a personal representative include:
- The decedent’s spouse
- The decedent’s child(ren)
- The decedent’s parent or legal guardian
- A named heir of the decedent’s estate
Our team can review the case to assess your relationship with the decedent and determine whether you may qualify to file for compensation due to the loss.
What Kinds of Damages are Compensable in Wrongful Death Cases?
GS §28A-18-2 also details the types of damages for which surviving heirs may receive compensation. These damages include:
- Medical care expenses: If your loved one required extensive medical care up until their death, you may receive compensation for these costs and other medical debt incurred. This includes costs for hospitalization as well.
- Funeral service expenses: You may be compensated for the amount of money spent to pay for the loved one’s funeral.
- Pain and suffering: If your loved one experienced intense physical or emotional pain up until their death due to their injuries, you may be compensated for their suffering.
- Financial income and benefits: If your loved one contributed to the family’s net worth, you may receive compensation for their individual income and other benefits or protection they provided to the family.
- Emotional losses: North Carolina also allows wrongful death claimants to pursue damages related to losing companionship, comfort, guidance, and other aspects of society from a loved one due to their passing.
You may be able to pursue additional damages not listed here, such as punitive damages or property damages, depending on the details of the case.
Our team can review the situation and help calculate the value of your compensable damages. We can then use this total as a projected goal to strive for when negotiating compensation or presenting the case in court.
Our Wrongful Death Legal Team Can Help File the Case on Time
North Carolina’s statute of limitations on wrongful death cases, GS §1-53, mandates a two-year window for people to file a case. This period begins on the day the victim died, not the day you decide to start building the case, so you should keep careful records of your case’s filing deadline.
Failure to submit the case within its statutory deadline could lead to:
- Lawsuit dismissal
- The at-fault party being absolved from having to compensate you
- You having to pay for the damages that resulted after your loved one’s death
Another time constraint to be aware of is how long certain evidence may be available, such as surveillance footage or witness testimony.
Our team understands that grief can be a major obstacle to getting things done, so allow us to manage the case for you. We can retrieve materials to build the case and file a lawsuit for you so that the North Carolina court system recognizes it.
Working with a Wrongful Death Lawyer From our Team Can Have Many Benefits
Our legal team serves people in Hickory and surrounding areas in North Carolina. With our services, we aim to help families fight for the financial recovery they need.
Our team of attorneys, paralegals, and other staff can work together to build your case, meaning we can handle everything for you and provide updates as they come. In these efforts, our team can do the following services while you and your family grieve:
- Investigate your loved one’s death: We may need to retrieve extra information beyond what is provided in the accident, death, or autopsy report. For example, if your loved one died in a truck accident that occurred on I-40, we will look into whether other parties may be held liable for the case or if additional evidence is retrievable.
- Speak with other parties for you: You may receive phone calls or letters from insurance companies, other legal attorneys, investigators, and other interested parties, which can be overwhelming if you are still coping with the loss or are unsure of what is legally in your interest to say. Our team can handle these communications to protect the case.
- Represent you in negotiations or court: The lawyer we assign to the case can serve as your legal advocate during settlement negotiation meetings, or they can present the case in trial and fight on your behalf. We can discuss your legal options during the first consultation and, should new developments require other decisions to be made, our lawyers can also advise you based on your goals.
Read what our Clients Have Said About our Services
At Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, we support our clients during the hard times they are living through, and we make sure they remain informed throughout their legal journey. Our Google reviews show the dedication we have to our clients:
- John Hudson wrote, “This is a law firm that actually [cares] about its clients, with high integrity and moral support.”
- Corinne Deck wrote, “My family and I cannot express enough how thankful we are for Miss Gabrielle Valentine’s efforts in representing us and serving our interests. … [Her and her team] always made sure we had all the information we need and we could clearly understand what they were trying to achieve for us.”
Call Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, to Hire a Wrongful Death Lawyer Serving Hickory
If you live in Hickory, North Carolina, and are currently mourning the loss of a loved one, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit if another party’s negligence caused their death.
Call Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC to get a free consultation with one of our team members. We’ll have a lawyer from our team start helping you prepare a case as soon as you call.
