St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Lawyer

The death of a loved one can turn your world upside down. When your loved one dies due to the negligent or intentional actions of another party, you may wonder how their death impacts your future or whether you have the right to compensation. At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, our experienced personal injury attorneys help families who have lost loved ones due to other parties’ negligence pursue the compensation they deserve. Contact a St. Petersburg wrongful death lawyer now to learn more.

How Perenich Law Injury Attorneys Can Help Families in St. Petersburg After the Loss of a Loved One

If another person’s negligence caused an accident that killed your loved one, do not attempt to handle a wrongful death claim on your own. Insurance companies rarely have your family’s best interests in mind. At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, on the other hand, we understand the emotional losses and financial challenges that accompany the unexpected death of a loved one. We respectfully handle all aspects of wrongful death claims and ensure that our clients leave nothing on the negotiating table. Although each case looks different, at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, our compassionate lawyers offer many services that can help improve your experience with the wrongful death claims process.

We help our clients look into the details of a loved one’s death.

Sometimes, you may need help uncovering all the circumstances that led to your loved one’s death. Depending on how their death occurred, you may not have the chance to speak with your loved one for their account of events. At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, our proactive St. Petersburg wrongful death attorneys investigate all the critical details that may have led to an accident, which helps us gather the evidence necessary to establish liability for the wrongful death case. In the past, we have successfully discovered multiple parties that share liability for the death of an individual. Often, lawyers have access to evidence that our clients might struggle to collect alone. We can create a compelling, effective claim that establishes liability with that evidence.

We help our clients calculate how much compensation they deserve after losing a loved one.

Losing a loved one means a lot of losses in your life: intangible losses like the loss of your loved one’s presence and tangible financial losses. Unfortunately, many people struggle to calculate how much money they deserve. Insurance companies may even insist, wrongly, that they do not deserve additional compensation for their losses. At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, we help our clients carefully calculate how much money they deserve so we can enter negotiations with open eyes and confidence.

We help our clients with negotiations, mediation, and, if necessary, court appearances.

To get the compensation you deserve for a loved one’s death, you may go through several phases. These include negotiating with the insurance company—often throughout multiple rounds of negotiation—mediation, and even going to court to settle your claim. At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, we help reduce stress, prepare our clients for what to expect, and provide them with comprehensive support at every stage of the journey.

Determining Liability in St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Claims

To file a wrongful death claim against the party that caused your loved one’s death, you must first identify the liable party by examining how your loved one’s accident occurred. A dedicated wrongful death lawyer in St. Petersburg will work with you to establish how your loved one’s death occurred and, as a result, who likely bears liability for the accident. Generally, that means asking several key questions, such as:

Who owed your loved one a duty of care at the time of their death?

A “duty of care” means that the liable party owed a responsibility to your loved one. For example, an employer bears a duty of care to employees to ensure a safe work environment. In contrast, a construction company might owe a duty to maintain a secure site, reduce dangers, and ensure that everyone who enters the site knows of areas to avoid potential hazards. On the road, all drivers owe a duty of care to others, including other drivers and passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcycle riders.

Did the party that caused the accident violate their duty of care?

Someone may have acted negligently, causing your loved one’s death. Even small mistakes can lead to severe accidents. For example, a texting driver may cause a fatal accident due to inattention behind the wheel—even if they do not mean to cause an accident. A capable accidental death lawyer in St. Petersburg can help you examine how the liable party might have violated their duty of care and what actions that party should have taken to protect your loved one. In some cases, a lawyer’s investigation may uncover multiple parties that share liability for a particular incident. For example, suppose that your loved one died because of a fall due to a broken railing. The premises owner might bear liability for failing to maintain the barrier. However, suppose further examination uncovers that a construction company improperly repaired the railing before the accident. In that case, the construction company may be responsible for the incident.

How did the violation lead to the accident that caused your loved one’s death?

To file a wrongful death claim, your lawyer must establish that the other party’s negligent actions ultimately caused the accident that led to your loved one’s death or contributed to it in some way. Simple proximity to your loved one at the time of their death does not make another party liable for that incident. However, contributing to the incident in any way can make that party liable. A lawyer can help examine how your loved one died and create a compelling argument to establish liability.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in St. Petersburg?

The decedent’s personal representative can file a wrongful death claim in Florida. They file the suit on behalf of the estate and the decedent’s survivors. Speak with our seasoned St. Petersburg lawyers at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys to determine whether you can file a wrongful death lawsuit on your loved one’s behalf.

What Compensation Can You Pursue in a St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Claim?

Seeking compensation for your loved one’s death can be challenging. Working with our St. Petersburg accidental death attorneys makes the process easier. A lawyer helps you decide what to include in your claim and how to estimate the value of your family’s wrongful death claim. Depending on who survived the deceased, you can seek different types of damages. Common damages include:

Compensation for Your Loved One’s Final Expenses

Talk to your knowledgeable St. Petersburg lawyer about whether you should include final medical expenses, such as hospital bills or emergency services bills, as part of a wrongful death claim. You can usually seek compensation for your loved one’s funeral and burial expenses as part of your wrongful death claim. The cost of burial and other final expenses can often grow higher than anticipated and cause significant financial challenges for many families.

Compensation for Your Loved One’s Income

Today, many families rely on both spouses’ income. When you lose one party’s income, which contributes substantially to the household income, it can cause financial difficulty for the entire family. As part of a wrongful death claim, you can calculate the value of your loved one’s income and the loss it has posed to the family. Additionally, if the deceased provided income support to his parents, the family might include that as part of the claim.

Compensation for the Services Your Loved One Provided

Many people do not think about the financial value of many of their services for the family. However, after the death of a loved one, those expenses can add up quickly. Your loved one may have cared for children or senior family members, taken care of house cleaning, or managed food preparation for the family. Your loved one might have maintained the home or repaired the vehicles. Hiring someone else to take care of those simple functions can stretch a family’s budget.

Compensation for Emotional Loss

Your loved one’s death creates more than just a financial hole in your family’s life. You may also find yourself contending with emotional trauma due to the loss of your loved one: a gaping hole you cannot replace. Dealing with the emotional impact of that loss can take time. A spouse may face the loss of the emotional support and presence of the deceased, while a child may face the loss of the advice, presence, and support offered by a parent. As part of your wrongful death claim, talk to your well-practiced St. Petersburg attorney about how you can pursue compensation for your emotional losses and the struggles that often accompany them.

Contact a St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Attorney Today

If your loved one died in an accident due to the negligence or intentional act of another party, speaking with a St. Petersburg wrongful death lawyer can help you learn more about the compensation your family deserves. Contact us at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys for your free consultation.