If your father is killed in a car accident, our wrongful death lawyers in Indianapolis, IN, can help you figure out what to do to streamline your family’s recovery. Our assistance can specifically see you get the financial support you need to pay for your father’s funeral, compensate for lost income, and cover mandatory time spent away from work.
We’ve found that the financial support families receive after filing wrongful death claims helps families spend more time celebrating the deceased’s life. If you’re ready to get the help that your family deserves, you can book a free wrongful death case consultation with our staff today.
Let’s work together to get justice on your father’s behalf.
Call the Police as Soon as Possible
Do not wait to call the police after a fatal accident. If your father is killed in a car accident, you, as a private citizen, do not have the right to initiate criminal consequences against them. However, police officers may charge a bad actor with manslaughter or murder alongside other criminal charges.
A criminal case will not put money in your hands, but it can help you get the justice you need to punish someone for their negligence. What’s more, criminal convictions can serve as proof of negligence in a civil case, should you decide to bring one forward.
It’s with the benefit of criminal court findings in mind that our Indianapolis personal injury lawyers recommend you work closely with police in the days following your father’s death. At the same time, our team can outline your independent right to take civil action against a bad actor.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
Book a Free Consultation With an Indianapolis Wrongful Death Lawyer
Your first case consultation with Indianapolis wrongful death attorneys comes free of charge and obligation. You can meet with our team after burying your father – or even before – to discuss how Indiana’s civil statutes may allow you to get financial justice for your losses.
Our team uses a free case evaluation to get to know you and better understand what negligence contributed to your father’s passing. We will not pressure you to pursue a case during your first consultation. You can ask any questions you like about our approach to wrongful death cases and what settlement you stand to receive.
Discuss the Pros and Cons of Filing an Insurance Claim
Your first case consultation with our team lets you discuss more than your right to a personal injury claim after your father’s death. We can also weigh the pros and cons of filing an insurance claim requesting economic support.
A liable party’s insurance company may have an obligation to offer you a settlement based on the economic losses your father’s death introduced into your life. However, insurance claims adjusters never want to give their clients money. Many adjusters will pressure you into accepting insufficient settlements or giving them statements minimizing your right to support.
Does this mean it’s not worth your effort to pursue an insurance claim after your father’s death? No. However, we recommend waiting to approach an insurance company until you have an attorney on your side. Our involvement in your case can provide you with protection against an insurance company’s bad-faith tactics.
Explore Your Right to a Wrongful Death Claim
Notably, Indiana’s civil courts only allow a person’s personal representative to open a civil case on the deceased’s behalf. If you are not your father’s personal representative, you may not have the legal right to pursue a wrongful death case in their name.
Your father’s will should name a personal representative. You can refer to that paperwork when first considering whether or not you want to pursue a civil claim against a bad actor.
However, there’s a chance your father didn’t have the time or legal guidance needed to choose a personal representative. If this is the case, Indiana as a state may assign a representative in his name. Our Indianapolis, IN, wrongful death attorneys can represent you throughout this process should you express interest in acting on your father’s behalf.
We Advocate for Your Right to Damages Addressing All of Your Losses
If your father is killed in a car accident, your family may suffer from a string of unexpected and unmanageable expenses. Fortunately, your personal injury claim allows you to recover compensation based on your tangible and intangible losses. This means you can ask a liable party for a settlement that addresses your:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Lost familial wages
- Lost personal wages
- Emergency medical expenses and pre-mortem care
- Hospice care, if applicable
- Funeral expenses
Filing an insurance claim only allows you to recover damages based on your father’s economic losses. Comparatively, personal injury claims allow you to include losses that don’t generate traditional bills – otherwise known as “non-economic losses” – in your request for support.
Our team can help you assign value to non-bill-generating losses as our investigation of your case progresses.
Let Compassionate Attorneys Advocate for Your Family
There’s not a single person who instinctively knows what to do if their father is killed in a car accident. You have the right to lean on your community while you’re dealing with your grief. Fortunately, that communication can include compassionate wrongful death lawyers in Indianapolis, IN.
Vaughan & Vaughan’s knowledge of Indiana’s civil statutes can help you explore your right to compensation for your father’s untimely death. If you choose to work with our team, you can benefit from our representation from the start to the end of your case. We’ll make your experience with Indiana’s civil system as accessible and accommodating as possible.
Let’s work together to get justice for your father’s untimely death. You can book a free wrongful death case evaluation with our staff right now.
