Are you grappling with the sudden and tragic death of a family member because of a recent accident in Norwalk, OH? You don’t have to navigate these difficult days on your own. You deserve justice, and our Norwalk wrongful death lawyers can offer the compassionate, experienced legal representation you need to make the most of your fight for compensation.
For nearly 80 years, Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers has been a respected and trusted legal advocate for Ohio’s injury victims and grieving families. Our tried-and-true Ohio trial attorneys have more than 181 years of experience and a proven ability to win tough personal injury cases for our clients. Our case results include over $100 million in settlements and jury awards.
There’s no charge to discuss your wrongful death case with our award-winning legal team. Call (419) 871-9015 to arrange your complimentary case evaluation today.
How Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers Can Help Your Grieving Family Navigate a Wrongful Death Claim in Norwalk, OH
Losing a close family member is never easy. The loss can be all that much more unbearable when you’re robbed of the opportunity to say goodbye. Fortunately, there’s a way for you to demand justice and get meaningful compensation from those responsible for your tragic loss.
However, expect a fight when you file a wrongful death lawsuit against a negligent motorist, a property owner, a hospital, or another at-fault party. Be prepared for insurance adjusters and defense attorneys to challenge your claim at every turn. Make the most of your fight for compensation – and allow yourself to grieve – by hiring an experienced Norwalk personal injury lawyer to represent you.
Hiring Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers sends a clear message to the defense. Your family won’t be taken advantage of, nor will you be bullied into accepting less than your wrongful death case is worth. We’re top-rated Ohio litigators with a multi-million-dollar track record of success. It’s why our attorneys are consistently honored as Super Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40 litigators by the National Trial Lawyers, and members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
You can trust us to handle all aspects of your wrongful death case on your behalf:
- Investigate the underlying cause of your family member’s fatal injuries
- Gather the evidence needed to prove the basis of your legal claim for damages
- Collaborate with reliable expert witnesses and specialists when appropriate
- Establish the potential value of your wrongful death case
- Actively work to defend against claims of contributory negligence that could derail your ability to win compensation
- File your wrongful death claim with the local Huron County court clerk
- Fight to secure a meaningful settlement offer from the defense during negotiations
- Bring your family’s civil lawsuit to trial, if necessary
Don’t be afraid to ask for the help you need and deserve. We work on a contingency fee basis, so there’s no cost to hire our Ohio wrongful death attorneys in Norwalk until we recover compensation for you.
Contact us at our law office in Norwalk to learn more and set a time for your complimentary case review. We’re available to take your call 24 hours a day.
How Do I Know If I Have a Wrongful Death Case?
If you get hurt because someone else is careless, you can file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for the damages you’ve suffered. What happens when an accident is fatal? The right to sue isn’t lost. Instead, it can shift to another party.
Ohio’s wrongful death law permits a legal claim for damages when a person’s death is “caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default” and would have given that person the right to “maintain an action and recover damages if death had not ensued.”
In other words, you may be able to benefit from a wrongful death lawsuit if someone you love was killed in an accident or because of an act of intentional violence. If your family member could have filed a lawsuit if they’d lived, a wrongful death lawsuit can be brought instead.
In Ohio, the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit belongs to the victim’s personal representative. The personal representative is either established in the decedent’s will or appointed by a judge. Most often, it’s a spouse, child, another family member, or a close friend.
The personal representative files the claim on behalf of the decedent’s surviving family members, including a spouse, children, parent(s), or other heirs.
Common Causes of Wrongful Death
At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, we passionately fight for justice on behalf of family members grieving the untimely wrongful death of loved ones resulting from:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Mass transit accidents
- Uber and Lyft rideshare accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Matters of premises liability
- Assault
- Defective products
- Workplace accidents
- Construction accidents
- Nursing home abuse
- Medical malpractice
- Aviation accidents
- Boating accidents
If you believe that your family member’s recent death could have been avoided, don’t hesitate to reach out to our wrongful death lawyers in Norwalk, OH, for help. We can listen to your story, help you understand your potential legal rights, and explain what types of monetary awards you might be able to receive if you pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.
Can Shared Fault Affect My Family’s Ohio Wrongful Death Settlement?
Yes. Ohio’s modified comparative negligence statute applies to most civil tort actions, including matters of wrongful death.
Pursuant to state law, a plaintiff’s damages are reduced proportionately to shared fault up to 50 percent. In wrongful death cases, the decedent’s shared fault is taken into consideration. If your family member is assigned 50 percent or less of the blame for their fatal accident, your family can receive compensation from a liable third party. However, the right to recover compensation is lost once their shared fault exceeds half.
For example, you’d be able to recover 90 percent of the value of your wrongful death claim if your spouse, who was killed in a recent Norwalk car accident, was assigned 10 percent of the blame for the fatal crash. However, no damages would be permitted if your spouse’s share of fault was 60 percent.
Never underestimate an insurance company’s desire to sidestep responsibility for a plaintiff’s damages. An adjuster won’t hesitate to point fingers and blame your family member for their fatal wounds. Our Norwalk wrongful death attorneys won’t let these tactics go unanswered. We’ll do everything in our power to disprove these allegations and protect your family’s invaluable opportunity to demand monetary justice for your loss.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded in a Norwalk Wrongful Death Case?
In Ohio, a wrongful death lawsuit can help surviving family members by awarding two types of compensatory awards: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are awarded to help alleviate the financial consequences of a loved one’s death and can include money for:
- Wages, income, and benefits the decedent would have used to support the family if they’d lived
- The value of household services provided by the decedent
- Medical bills incurred prior to the victim’s death
- Funeral costs and/or burial expenses
- The amount by which an inheritance was reduced due to the victim’s untimely death
Non-economic damages are awarded to help surviving family members cope with the more subjective trauma they’ve experienced in the wake of their loss, including:
- Loss of companionship, care, support, guidance, protection, attention, and advice
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
An Ohio jury can also award punitive damages if a wrongful death lawsuit goes to trial. State law permits punitive damages when there is clear and convincing evidence of malice or extreme recklessness.
What’s the Statute of Limitations For Wrongful Death Lawsuits in Ohio?
Ohio imposes a two-year statute of limitations on wrongful death litigation. The personal representative must file a legal claim for damages by the second anniversary of the victim’s date of death.
If the filing deadline is missed, the family loses the right to recover compensation from the person (or parties) responsible for their tragic loss.
Call Our Norwalk Wrongful Death Lawyers For Help
Someone else was negligent, and now you’re left to grieve an unimaginable loss. Don’t let them walk away without taking responsibility for the incredible harm they’ve caused. Call Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers and ask for help demanding the financial justice your family deserves.
Our Norwalk wrongful death attorneys are award-winning litigators who can offer the compassionate legal representation you need during this trying time. Backed by 181 years of collective experience, we’ve helped victims and families win over $100 million in damages from powerful insurance companies, multinational corporations, government agencies, and other tough defendants.
Today, our family is ready to fight for yours. Contact our law office in Norwalk to learn more. Your first case review is free.