Meridian Fatal Car Accidents
Dedicated Motor Vehicle Wreck Lawyers Fighting for Surviving Family Members
There were more than 32,000 fatal car accidents that led to over 35,000 deaths in the United States in 2015 alone. Unintentional injuries, of which many come from auto accidents, are the 4th leading cause of death for all ages and the leading cause of death for persons age 44 and younger. Of the five leading causes of death, auto accidents are the only preventable one, with most car crashes being attributable to the carelessness of one or more drivers. If you have lost a loved one in a fatal car crash, contact our Meridian fatal car accident attorneys today to discuss your legal options during this trying time. Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz has been handling personal injury cases for more than 30 years while always striving to deliver compassionate client service and legal representation.
Bringing a Wrongful Death Claim for a Deceased Accident Victim in Mississippi
677 people died from accidents on Mississippi roads in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Under Mississippi law, you may be entitled to bring a wrongful death action on behalf of your loved one if he or she passed away due to injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash. A wrongful death claim will allow you to seek damages on your loved one’s behalf, just as he or she would have been able to do if he or she had survived the crash. Not everyone can bring a wrongful death action on someone else’s behalf, though. In order to file a claim on behalf of a deceased, you typically must be one of the following, depending on the circumstances:
- The deceased’s surviving spouse
- The deceased’s surviving parent or child
- The deceased’s surviving sibling
- The personal representative of the estate of the deceased
When the death was caused by driver error or negligence, such as in a wreck, the claim must be asserted by the appropriate party. If you are one of the persons listed above and believe you may be able to assert a wrongful death claim on behalf of someone who died in a car crash, you should contact an experienced fatal car accident attorney in the Meridian area immediately. It is important for an attorney to begin investigating the claim and building the case soon after the accident in order for you to be able to assert a timely and successful wrongful death claim.
To succeed in a fatal car accident case, liability and damages must be established. Liability concerns the facts of the accident, and it is often established by proving negligence. Negligence can encompass numerous forms, although the most common include drunk driving, driving while fatigued, disregarding traffic signals, and speeding. Our lawyers seek to begin investigating car accidents on behalf of clients as soon as possible so that we can uncover all forms of evidence available. For example, we will seek to promptly obtain the Meridian Police Department crash report and make efforts to speak with all known witnesses.
Damages in a fatal crash case are usually significant. For starters, surviving family members will be grieving over the loss of their loved one. Financial implications can be high as well, especially if the deceased was the family’s primary income earner. The family may have difficulty replacing that income and providing for basic necessities. Serving people throughout the Meridian area, our fatal car accident lawyers can take steps to identify and pursue all elements of damages under Mississippi law, such as funeral and burial expenses, medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, lost wages, and lost future earnings. To prove loss of future income, it may be necessary to retain economic experts to gather data and make calculations based on the victim’s age, work history, experience, and earning potential.
Consult with a Knowledgeable Wrongful Death Attorney
If you have lost a loved one in a fatal auto accident, contact our Meridian fatal car accident lawyers today for a free consultation. While no sum of money will make up for the untimely loss of your loved one, we can fight to get you maximum recovery under the law. We have successfully represented auto accident victims all across Mississippi, including in Meridian, Jackson, Tupelo, Oxford, Starkville, Hattiesburg, and other parts of the state. Call us now toll-free at 800-529-4004 or complete our online form to set up a free consultation with a Meridian car accident lawyer.
Most car accidents are preventable and occur as a result of errors by one or more drivers. To prove liability, you will need to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the driver owed you a duty of care, which was breached, and that your injuries resulted from the driver’s carelessness. Damages that may be available in these cases often include medical expenses, lost income, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.
Truck drivers are required to follow numerous detailed regulations, including rules related to hours of service, keeping a logbook, and maintenance procedures. Many of these regulations are intended to protect other people on the road from harm. In some states, if a driver violated a law that was enacted to protect the public, the violation can create a rebuttable presumption of negligence. Trucking companies are also required to follow a number of regulations, including rules related to background checks of drivers and proper supervision. They often may be held directly or indirectly liable for a truck accident.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates applications for disability benefits. Although many people pay into this system throughout their lives, many legitimate claims are initially denied, and this process may be less straightforward than claimants expect. The SSA uses a five-step sequential evaluation to determine whether to grant benefits to an applicant. Each step is considered in a set order. We can present your case in a persuasive manner and help you appeal a denial of a meritorious claim if needed. This could include representing you in a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Workers’ compensation functions slightly differently in each state. In Tennessee, for example, businesses that employ five or more employees must carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you are injured on the job, you may recover benefits, such as medical costs and disability. Neither your employer’s nor your own culpability for your injuries will prevent you from collecting these benefits. However, it may still be a struggle to obtain benefits from your employer’s insurer. We can help you navigate this challenging process.
If you were harmed by a health care professional’s failure to use the appropriate level of care in providing treatment to you, you may be able to recover compensation. Most medical malpractice lawsuits require retaining an expert to determine the accepted standard of care and explain what the defendant did that fell short of this standard, as well as how the inappropriate conduct caused the patient’s injuries.
When you buy a toy, car, medication, or other product, you do not expect to be hurt. If you are injured, you may have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit. There are three types of defects that may be actionable: manufacturing, design, and marketing (also known as failure to warn). Manufacturers may be held accountable under multiple different theories, including strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, and concealment. For example, if you take a drug that causes you to develop cancer, but you were not told that a potential side effect of the drug was developing cancer, you may have grounds to hold the manufacturer strictly liable for its failure to warn you of the risk.
Nursing home residents are often elderly or disabled, and thus they are especially vulnerable to neglect, physical abuse, and exploitation by staff members. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are understaffed or employ staff members who are inadequately trained to deal with potentially frustrating situations. Nursing homes are required to protect their residents from physical, mental, and emotional harm by providing a safe environment, as well as adequately training and supervising staff. A failure to do so may be grounds for a nursing home negligence lawsuit for damages.
Property owners have a duty to keep their property reasonably safe. In most situations, this includes an obligation to inspect the property for dangerous conditions and fix them or provide warnings about them so that visitors are not harmed. One type of dangerous condition, which may present a particular problem in apartment complexes or shopping centers, consists of inadequate security measures such as broken locks, poor lighting, or a lack of security guards. A failure to take security measures when appropriate may allow third-party criminals to assault, rob, rape, or otherwise harm visitors and tenants. You may be able to recover damages if you can prove that the defendant knew or should have known about a history of attacks similar to yours and taken appropriate security measures to reduce the risk of further incidents.
Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer in Memphis or the Surrounding Regions
If you are dealing with a devastating injury or medical condition, the Memphis personal injury attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz can evaluate and explain your options. Our firm has 30 attorneys and more than 100 staff members, and we serve injured people in many areas of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, including Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada, Starkville, Oxford, Hayti, and Caruthersville. Contact our office toll-free by calling 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation with a personal injury, workers’ compensation, or Social Security Disability lawyer. Once you have learned more about our vigorous advocacy for the rights of the injured, you will realize that NST is the way to go.