Have you lost a spouse, parent, or child due to someone else’s negligence in Cleveland, OH? If so, don’t hesitate to call Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers at (216) 510-9985 for a free consultation. Our Cleveland wrongful death lawyers can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Our award-winning legal team has 181+ years of collective legal experience and an unmatched ability to take on tough cases and win life-changing case results for our clients. Our case results include over $100 million in hard-fought settlement agreements and jury awards.
Reach out to our Cleveland law office for support today.
Why Choose Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers for Help After a Fatal Accident in Cleveland, OH?
Families turn to Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers for help in the wake of tragedies because we’re honest, compassionate legal advocates with a proven track record of success.
Our Cleveland personal injury lawyers are among Ohio’s most respected and honored litigators, having been recognized as:
- Super Lawyers
- Top 40 Under 40 litigators by The National Trial Lawyers
- Members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
We understand that the death of a close family member in Cleveland, Ohio, can turn your world upside-down, making it difficult to evaluate your legal options and pursue compensation from a powerful insurance carrier. Our legal team can offer the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to help your family build a strong case and maximize your financial recovery.
We offer a complimentary case evaluation, so contact our Cleveland wrongful death attorneys for assistance and support today.
Understanding Wrongful Death in Ohio
In Ohio, you can bring a legal claim for damages against another party if you are injured because of their harmful or negligent actions. The right to sue isn’t lost if an injury is fatal. Instead, Ohio’s Wrongful Death Act transfers legal rights to another party in what’s known as a wrongful death case.
Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 2125.01, a wrongful death claim can be pursued when:
- A person’s death is the result of another party’s “wrongful act, neglect, or default.”
- The victim would have had the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit for damages if they’d survived.
Specifically, the person named as the decedent’s personal representative – either in a will or by a court – can file a wrongful death lawsuit.
How Much Is My Wrongful Death Claim Worth?
Filing a wrongful death claim gives you the opportunity to pursue compensation for the consequences you’ve experienced because of a family member’s unexpected death.
When an attorney evaluates a family’s claim and calculates their potential damages, they’ll consider:
- The victim’s income and the degree to which they supported their family financially
- The victim’s role in raising a family and running a household
- How close the victim was with their surviving family members, and the degree to which their death affects their quality of life
- The victim’s shared responsibility (if any) for the accident that led to their death
- Whether the victim’s death was caused by an intentional act of violence or another’s gross negligence
Valuing a wrongful death claim can be complicated, which is why our team collaborates with knowledgeable experts and specialists who can provide critical insight along the way. We can gather evidence that helps establish the financial and personal consequences of your loved one’s passing and assess the harder-to-value trauma you’ll have to cope with as you grieve and move on with your life.
What Damages Can Be Awarded in a Cleveland Wrongful Death Case?
Damages awarded in a Cleveland wrongful death case are designed to compensate surviving family members for the ways in which their lives have been affected by a loved one’s passing.
Often, a successful claim for wrongful death can help families recover economic awards and non-economic awards for:
- The value of the wages, income, and financial support the decedent would have provided if they’d survived
- The value of household support and services the decedent provided, such as raising a family, caring for disabled or elderly family members, and managing a household
- An expected reduction in inheritance due to the victim’s premature passing
- The family’s emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of companionship, care, comfort, guidance, and support
- Funeral expenses
- Medical bills incurred before the victim’s passing
If the decedent survived their injuries for any period of time before passing away, additional compensation can also be pursued in a related survival action. These damages would compensate the decedent for any financial losses or pain and suffering that they experienced between the time they were injured and passed away.
Punitive damages may also be permitted in serious situations in which a person’s death was decidedly the result of intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Wrongful Death Attorney in Cleveland?
Since our wrongful death attorneys in Cleveland represent clients on a contingency fee basis, there’s no cost to hire our law firm unless we’ve secured compensation for your family.
Our fees are entirely dependent on the results we achieve. They’re a pre-determined percentage of your financial recovery. If we don’t win your wrongful death case, you will owe us nothing.
Can Shared Fault Affect My Ohio Wrongful Death Settlement?
It can. Ohio’s modified comparative negligence law applies to most personal injury lawsuits, including matters of wrongful death.
Under the law, damages can be reduced in proportion to the decedent’s share of fault, as long as the decedent was not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. For example, if someone you love was killed in a car accident in Cleveland and assigned 10 percent of the blame for the fatal crash, the damages awarded in a related wrongful death claim would be reduced by 10 percent.
If a decedent’s shared fault is greater than half, the family generally loses the right to seek compensation from other at-fault parties through a wrongful death lawsuit.
Insurance companies often try to shift blame onto the victim to reduce what they have to pay. Our attorneys can investigate the accident, gather evidence, and challenge unfair allegations of fault. By building a strong claim supported by witness statements, expert opinions, and available records, we can work to protect your family’s right to compensation.
We Handle a Wide Array of Wrongful Death Cases in Cleveland
At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, we fight for families in wrongful death claims related to:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Product liability
- Dog bites
- Assault
You may have the right to benefit from a wrongful death lawsuit, and our compassionate legal team can answer your questions, offer sound advice, and help you demand financial justice from those responsible for your loss.
How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Ohio?
Yes, the decedent’s personal representative will have a limited amount of time to file a wrongful death lawsuit. In Ohio, the standard statute of limitations for wrongful death cases is two years from the date of passing.
If the filing deadline is missed, your family can lose the opportunity to recover valuable compensation for lost financial support, emotional distress, funeral costs, and other damages.
Call Our Experienced Cleveland Wrongful Death Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If your family is grieving the unexpected and tragic death of someone you loved dearly, the at-fault party should be held accountable. Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers is here to help you every step of the way.
Our Cleveland wrongful death lawyers have over 181 years of combined experience fighting for personal injury victims and families in Ohio. As fierce advocates for justice, we’ve helped clients recover more than $100 million in privately negotiated settlement agreements and jury verdicts obtained at trial.
Reach out to us to discover how we can make a meaningful difference in your family’s recovery. Your first consultation is free.