The grief you’re dealing with isn’t fair. No one should have the right to steal someone you care about away from you. If you’re dealing with the tragic consequences of someone else’s negligence, you should have the right to hold them accountable for their actions. Fortunately, our Terre Haute wrongful death lawyers can help you get started.
The team with Vaughan & Vaughan has helped families like yours recover millions in damages after the unexpected death of a loved one. You can trust our Terre Haute personal injury lawyers to prioritize your right to maximize a loved one’s wrongful death damages, all without infringing on your right to grieve.
You can book a free case consultation with our legal team today.
Personal Representatives Can Connect With Terre Haute Wrongful Death Lawyers After Fatal Accidents
Indiana only allows a deceased person’s personal representative to take legal action on their behalf. If you are not a loved one’s representative, you may not file for damages based on the deceased’s losses. However, if you were involved in the same accident that killed your loved one, you may file for support based on your personal losses.
If you’re a person’s personal representative, you can file a wrongful death claim in their name following a tragic accident. Your voice counts as the voice of the deceased in the eyes of the law.
How Does Someone Elect a Personal Representative
There’s no complicated process people have to go through to establish a personal representative. Most of the time, one person names another and includes that person in their will as their representative. A person may select a loved one, friend, or even professional acquaintance to represent their best interests after their death.
If you’re not sure whether or not you’re a person’s personal representative, consider consulting their will for more information. However, if your loved one didn’t select a personal representative prior to their death, the state may have to do so for them.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
When Should You Book a Free Wrongful Death Consultation?
Our wrongful death lawyers in Terre Haute, IN, recommend that you book a free wrongful death consultation with an experienced attorney as soon as you can after a loved one’s fatal accident. Unfortunately, calling an attorney may not be the first thing on your mind if you’re also arranging a loved one’s funeral and dealing with your own grief.
Fortunately, Indiana’s personal injury statute of limitations gives you up to two years to secure legal representation and file your claim. However, be warned. That deadline is final. You have until the second anniversary of your loved one’s death and no longer to bring your claim forward, or else you may waive your right to financially recover.
It’s with that deadline in mind that we recommend family members reach out to an experienced lawyer sooner rather than later. Agreeing to a case consultation doesn’t lock you into long-term legal action. It instead allows you to discuss what legal right you have to hold someone responsible for your loved one’s death.
There is no fee
unless you win
What to Expect When Filing a Wrongful Death Claim
An experienced Terre Haute wrongful death attorney can help you:
Prove Your Right to Pursue a Case
Once you’ve established that you’re the deceased’s personal representative, you can begin an investigation into the negligence that caused their death. That investigation can turn up evidence elaborating on:
- The duty of care someone owed your loved one
- The negligence that led to your loved one’s fatal accident
- The value of your loved one’s wrongful death losses
However, our team recognizes that you may not be emotionally prepared to lead this investigation. That’s why our team works with our professional network to bring experienced investigators into your case. We collaborate to find the electronic data, physical debris, videos, photos, and witness statements needed to build your case.
While we can keep you up to date on our findings, we can also treat the severe nature of your loss with the respect it deserves. Moreover, you can trust that we’ll never make a decision about your case without consulting you, no matter what we find.
Prove Your Right to Fair Compensation
You can count on our attorneys to prove that you have the right to compensation based on your loved one’s economic and non-economic accident losses. We do so by first establishing that someone else’s negligence led to those specific losses. We can then calculate the value of those losses, subsequently finding the sum of the damages you deserve.
Some of the damages to make appearances in today’s wrongful death claims can include the following:
- Funeral expenses
- Premortem medical care
- Hospice care
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Stress
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Property damage
- Lost or reduced income
We can work together to determine which damages you can ask for when filing a wrongful death claim in a loved one’s name. Vaughan & Vaughan will always prioritize your right to maximize your recovery.
Let Us Fight for Your Right to Recover Today
We understand that Indiana’s civil system can look nebulous from the outside. That’s why we offer our services to families like yours. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to get justice for a loved one’s fatal accident.
What’s more, we don’t want to strain your finances. That’s why our team works on a contingency fee basis. You don’t have to pay for your first consultation with our staff. If you move forward with a case, we don’t require a deposit or any upfront payment. Instead, Vaughan & Vaughan wrongful death attorneys in Terre Haute, IN, only get paid if we win your case.
