The death of a loved one is devastating. It may also leave you with unexpected medical costs and lost financial support. These additional stresses can make it hard to focus on the grieving process and caring for your family. A Cincinnati wrongful death lawyer can pursue fair compensation from negligent parties.
The Cincinnati personal injury lawyers at Shore Law are dedicated to providing compassionate legal services. With 40 years of combined experience, we are prepared to take on every step of the legal process for you during this difficult time.
Reach out to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case; we are here for you during this challenging time.
Why Choose a Cincinnati Wrongful Death Attorney From Shore Law?
We treat every client with the respect and empathy that they deserve. Our goal is to take the stress of the legal process off of your shoulders. We can:
- Investigate to determine who was at fault.
- Gather evidence to strengthen your claim.
- Handle all communications with insurance adjusters and the other parties involved.
- Complete and file all necessary paperwork, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
- Negotiate on your behalf.
- Represent your case in court, when needed.
Our team has recovered over $250 million for our clients. You can read more about these results on our website.
Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Can Help With
Our team is experienced across personal injury cases. We can help with:
- Cincinnati car accident lawyers.
- Cincinnati medical malpractice lawyers.
- Cincinnati nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers.
- Cincinnati premises liability lawyers.
Our Personal Injury Lawyers Work on Contingency
The idea of taking on additional costs right now can seem out of reach. We don’t want our clients to feel like they can’t access legal help, so we work on contingency. This means that there are no upfront costs for our services.
Instead, you will only pay our fees if, and when, we recover compensation for you. If we are not successful in recovering compensation, then you won’t owe us anything.
What Is the Timeline for Wrongful Death Cases in Cincinnati?
There are a few time factors that are important to consider for your case. The first is the statute of limitations. In Ohio, you generally have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit. However, there are circumstances where this may be shortened.
The other important consideration is that time can also affect your lawyer’s ability to recover evidence. As time passes, video footage may be overwritten, witnesses may be harder to track down, and other evidence can disappear.
The sooner we get started on your case, the stronger the chances are for recovering fair compensation.
Compensation After a Wrongful Death in Cincinnati
Losing a loved one often comes with financial stresses on top of the pain of grieving. When we seek fair compensation for you, we are aiming to compensate the full scope of your losses.
You may be eligible to recover compensation for:
- The loss of financial support.
- End-of-life medical expenses, including emergency care and hospitalization.
- Funeral costs.
- Cremation or burial expenses.
- Loss of services that your loved one provided for your household.
- Loss of companionship.
Our goal is to seek the maximum compensation you are entitled to recover.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Ohio?
In Ohio, the personal representative of the decedent is typically the one who files a wrongful death claim. Personal representatives are often named in wills, but they can also be appointed by the court.
While the personal representative is the one who files a wrongful death claim, there are a few parties who may be the beneficiaries of a settlement. They are:
- A surviving spouse.
- The decedent’s children.
- The parents of the deceased.
- Other eligible family members.
If you are unsure who the personal representative is for your loved one, our Cincinnati wrongful death lawyers can help you understand who needs to file the claim.
Proving Fault in Wrongful Death Cases
To recover compensation, your attorney must prove that someone else’s negligence led to the death. This can be a complicated process, but we will handle every step of it. Negligence involves four key elements.
These are:
- Duty of care: This is a responsibility that someone owes to someone else. For example, doctors have a responsibility to follow standard procedures for medical care, and motorists must follow traffic laws.
- Breach of duty of care: The at-fault party acted with carelessness or recklessness. For example, a driver ran a red light or a nursing home failed to check a patient’s bedsores.
- Causation: The actions led directly to a death.
- Damages: There are losses because of the actions.
Helpful Evidence for Proving Negligence
The availability of evidence will depend on the circumstances of the incident. Possible evidence may include:
- Video footage.
- Witness testimonies.
- Documentation like written communications, hospital records, staffing reports, police reports, phone records, blood alcohol concentration test results, and maintenance records.
- Physical evidence, such as skid marks in car accident cases.
- Expert testimony, such as from an accident reconstructionist.
We will carefully gather and analyze evidence to build a strong claim. We can also use evidence to combat any unfair insurer tactics, such as trying to shift blame to your loved one.
Contact a Wrongful Death Attorney in Cincinnati Today
We are so sorry for your loss. We are here to help during this devastating time, so you can focus on your loved ones.
The legal team at Shore Law will fight to hold negligent parties financially accountable.
We know money cannot ease your grief, but we hope to get you the compensation you need to ease the financial pressures you now face. Reach out to us today to schedule a free consultation.
