WRONGFUL DEATH

One of the most tragic events in life is the death of a loved one, particularly when it could have been avoided or was caused by someone else’s conduct or carelessness. Often the decedent leaves behind family and friends who relied upon him or her to provide for them in addition to the emotional devastation and other monetary losses suffered from the death of their loved one.

“Wrongful death” occurs when a person is killed because of negligence, misconduct, recklessness, or inaction of another person, company, or entity. The term covers a wide variety of incident types, including automobile accidents, slip and fall injuries, worker’s compensation injuries, maritime accidents, product defects, medical malpractice, and intentional torts such as assault and battery. Although the incidents vary, the injuries are so serious that they result in loss of life to the injured party. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by the executor or administrator of the decedent’s estate or a relative acting as an administrator. Contrary to what many persons might believe, the recovery is distributed to the decedent’s close relatives, as specified by statutory law, not by intestate succession or pursuant to the terms of the decedent’s will.

Because of the severity of a wrongful death case and many complex issues surrounding it, decisive action by an experienced attorney is necessary for a successful and significant recovery. Our attorneys have handled and litigated many wrongful death cases and made significant recoveries on behalf of the loved ones left behind from these senseless tragedies. If you would like additional information or a no-cost consultation from a member of the RutterMills team, please fill out the quick contact form on this page.

Paul McKinley : Paul was riding his motorcycle down Shore Drive with his fiancée, Meghan, on the back, when a drunk driver hit them head-on. They were thrown to opposite sides of the road. Paul suffered an aortic tear, bruised lungs, and two broken bones in his left forearm. He initially had no idea what had happened to Meghan. Read what our clients have to say about Rutter Mills...