Wrongful Death Lawyer St. Charles, MO
Wrongful Death Attorneys in St. Charles, MO. Losing a loved one is often one of the most painful and difficult human experiences. That pain is compounded when a preventable accident or someone’s reckless behavior ends your loved one’s life prematurely. After losing a loved one at the hands of another person’s negligence or misconduct, there is a way to get some support for your family and hold the responsible person accountable for the irreprerable harm they have caused. When your family member is killed in a wrongful death case, speak to a wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis right away.
Combs Waterkotte is a St. Louis firm dedicated to pursing justice and standing up for those who have been wronged. Your Combs Waterkotte wrongful death lawyer will handle your case with the utmost care, respect and reverence. We cannot replace the life lost, but we can make sure you are fully compensated for your losses as the law allows. After losing your loved one, you may feel lost and powerless. Let a passionate wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis fight for your family and help you collect compensation to help your family navigate life after your loss.
A Combs Waterkotte wrongful death lawyer is ready to fight for you and help your family recover full compensation. There is no cost or obligation when speaking to a wrongful death lawyer. Call us today at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to review your case with a qualified St. Louis wrongful death attorney. We are here for you.
Wrongful Death Laywer St. Charles, Missouri
Our firm offers legal support to families that have suffered a wrongful death. Insurers, businesses, and other negligent parties may be liable for a wrongful death. It’s crucial for survivors to get in touch with a qualified attorney to see if you are owed compensation after an incident. Our Wrongful Death Attorneys will fight for your claim or go to trial. If we don’t win your case, you don’t pay. Feel free to contact our St. Charles, MO, wrongful death lawyers now for a case review.
There are many forms of compensation you can get for a wrongful death settlement. There are several factors that go into a wrongful death claim, which is why it’s so important to get experienced legal counsel. Combs Waterkotte has handled car accident cases, premises liability, medical malpractice, truck crashes, and other claims. All of these are linked to wrongful death lawsuits. Here, we’ve provided a few facts about wrongful death cases in the Greater St. Louis area.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 40,000 vehicle-related deaths every year.
- Missouri Revised Statute 537.080 designates beneficiaries (people who can sue for a wrongful death) as family members, children, adoptees, domestic partners, and spouses, broken into three tiers based on preference.
- Different states have different time limits on filing a wrongful death claim. Missouri’s statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is three years, meaning in most cases you have three years from the date of death to make a wrongful death claim in Missouri.
- Auto accidents, falls, and medical malpractice rank among the leading cause of wrongful death.
- According to the CDC, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 44, and the leading causes of unintentional injury are auto accidents, poisoning, and accidents like falls and drowning.
- Damages awarded in a Missouri wrongful death claim depend on many factors, typically include loss of income, loss of consortium and support, medical and funeral expenses, and whether the decedent suffered prior to death.
Wrongful death claims are complex. There are complex laws in Missouri regarding the various parties that may be liable, and settlement amounts can change drastically. Survivors and family members may be able to collect millions of dollars depending on the claim.
Common Wrongful Death Claims
Our reputation is built on our wrongful death lawyers’ success in protecting the rights of our clients. Whether it’s an innocent bystander, an employee who was killed in an accident, or a family that lost someone due to negligence, it is important for our firm to provide quality legal representation. Here are some of the most common types of wrongful death cases we manage:
- Car Accidents
- Criminal Acts
- Workplace Negligence
- Product Liability
- Drowning
- Medical Malpractice
- Defective Drugs
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Electrocution
Getting a lawyer right away is essential for winning a wrongful death case. Our St. Louis wrongful death lawyers have helped countless St. Louis and Missouri families get fair compensation for their losses through settlements in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Learn more about our wrongful death attorneys here.
A wrongful death claim can be used for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, support, counseling, and other damages. An overlooked damage includes loss of wages that may be equal to a certain percent of a state’s minimum wage.
Medical wrongful death is particularly challenging. Our firm will look into any drugs that were prescribed, the provider’s experience, and even any negligence on behalf of the medical facility. Unintentional death on the job is another major concern for our St. Charles, MO, wrongful death attorneys. Often, work-related fatalities are attributed to safety cutbacks and other hazards. If you’re a spouse, child, descendant, parent, or even a sibling or niece or nephew, you might be able to file a wrongful death case. Contact the St. Charles, MO, wrongful death attorneys today to learn more about our experience with these cases.
Damages for Wrongful Death Claims in St. Charles, MO
Most states allow survivors to claim both economic and non-economic damages in a wrongful death claim. In regard to economic damages, the rule-of-thumb is to multiply any financial compensation (from hospital fees, burial costs, etc.) by 4 or 5. It’s important for survivors to not rush large insurance companies or negligent parties with a demand letter. Our St. Charles, MO, wrongful death attorneys have experience dealing with insurers and can help you send a demand letter that clearly outlines the claim.
There are a few common things to consider in any wrongful death case in order to prove negligence:
- Duty of Care: As a society, it’s our duty to act responsibly. For example, you are supposed to yield at yield signs and deliver quality medical care.
- Breach: A breach is when a third party fails to show duty of care. You can look at breach as a “failure to act,” like not stopping at a stop sign and hitting a pedestrian.
- Causation: It’s important to prove that a person’s breach of duty of care actually caused you (the survivor) harm. If you’re in an accident, it’s important to prove that a negligent party caused the accident.
- Damages: To get reimbursement, you’re going to have to prove that you were financially harmed. This includes medical expenses, lost time from work, funeral expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages.
We will consider medical expenses, mental and physical distress the victim felt prior to their death, property damages, lost wages, and pain and suffering for the survivors. View our wrongful death FAQs to learn more about how wrongful death claims work. Below, you can find some of the questions and answers for these types of cases:
- What do I need to prove for a wrongful death claim?
- What is the average wrongful death settlement?
- Who is eligible to sue for wrongful death?
- Can I sue if a family member is killed in a car accident?
- How long do I have to file a wrongful death claim?
- How long does it take to win a wrongful death settlement?
It’s important to know your rights as a survivor and how to approach a case. The easiest answer is to contact a wrongful death attorney in St. Charles, MO, right away for legal counsel and support.
The wrongful death lawyers of Combs Waterkotte offer a range of legal counsel to help those in the St. Charles area get justice. Some of these include the following practice areas:
- Gun Crime Lawyer
- Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
View some of our firm’s results and recent cases and testimonials to learn more. A death in the family can cause financial difficulties for surviving family members, and it’s our job to help those families get the compensation they deserve.
Contact Wrongful Death Attorneys in St. Charles, MO, Today
A lot goes into every claim or case, and as St. Louis wrongful death lawyers, it’s our duty to help victims and their families gather all of the required information in order to be fairly reimbursed. Our firm has your back. Reach out to our St. Louis wrongful death lawyers today to learn more about our capabilities. Get a free case review to find out whether you have a wrongful death claim and what a St. Louis wrongful death lawyer can do to help your family recover. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP or reach a wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis online through our form.