6 Things You Shouldn't Assume About Hiring A Wrongful Death Lawyer

If you've recently gone through the unexpected death of a loved one or family member due to the negligence of another party, you might want to consider hiring a wrongful death lawyer. 

There is some misinformation out there about wrongful death lawyers that you should be aware of. The following are six things you shouldn't assume about hiring a wrongful death lawyer. 

A wrongful death lawyer can only file a lawsuit if the death in question was caused by an accident.

Many possible causes of wrongful deaths can be followed up with a wrongful death lawsuit. In addition to incidents such as automobile or worksite accidents, incidents involving medical malpractice or injury from hazardous product defects are other situations in which a wrongful death lawsuit could be filed. 

A wrongful death lawyer can't file a lawsuit when the would-be defendant has already been criminally convicted.

Criminal charges resulting from a wrongful death incident do not have any impact on wrongful death lawsuits because lawsuits are civil matters. However, you may be more likely to win a wrongful death lawsuit against a defendant who already has a criminal conviction due to the incident. 

You have to be the spouse or child of the deceased individual to hire a wrongful death lawyer.

There are numerous possible relationships you may have with a deceased individual that would qualify you to file a wrongful death lawsuit on his or her behalf.

Not only can surviving spouses and children of the deceased individual hire a wrongful death lawyer to pursue the case, but so can surviving stepchildren and parents. In certain situations, other blood relatives may also be able to instigate a wrongful death lawsuit for a deceased individual. 

Hiring a wrongful death lawyer is not affordable.

Before hiring a wrongful death lawyer, many would-be plaintiffs may worry that they will not be able to afford the resulting legal fees. However, wrongful death lawyers are usually paid through contingency fee agreements so that clients don't need to pay any fees until compensation has been secured. 

You have as long as you want to hire a wrongful death lawyer.

Every state has statute of limitations guidelines that preclude the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit after too much time has elapsed. That's why you need to make sure that you don't wait too long to decide to hire a wrongful death lawyer. 

It's selfish and greedy to hire a wrongful death lawyer in pursuit of a settlement.

Some clients feel guilty about hiring a wrongful death lawyer because they think that they're being greedy or selfish.

However, many survivors of those who die in a wrongful death situation suffer financially as the result of the negligence of the defendant in the case. Those who are responsible for a wrongful death should be held responsible by having to provide compensation to the survivors.