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Wrongful Death Attorney Near Me

HomeWrongful Death Attorney Near Me

Wrongful Death Attorney Near Me

Wrongful death actions are a type of personal injury lawsuit that is filed on behalf of a deceased victim or his or her estate. In these cases, there are rules governing who may bring a wrongful death action against the negligent party and a statute of limitations governing how long grieving family members have to initiate the lawsuit. Below, we will discuss wrongful death actions in Ohio and what you will need to do to sue the negligent party who robbed you of your loved one.

The Ohio Wrongful Death Statute

You can find the Ohio wrongful death statute in Ohio Revised Statutes § 2125. In Ohio, certain individuals may file a wrongful death action against a negligent or malicious party if the wrongfully deceased party would have been able to file a personal injury lawsuit had they survived.

In order to bring a wrongful death action, a “personal representative” of the deceased’s estate must file the lawsuit in civil. Spouses, children, and parents of the deceased may recover damages related to their emotional anguish. In cases in which someone was a dependent of the deceased, they may also recover damages related to their loss. Siblings or other family members must show cause to be named as plaintiffs in a wrongful death action.

Statute of Limitations on Wrongful Death Actions in Ohio

The statute of limitations for wrongful death actions is the same as any personal injury lawsuit — two years from the date of death. In some cases, it may not be apparent what the family member’s cause of death was. In those cases, the statute of limitations might be tolled to the discovery of a negligent party. This, however, is rare and requires the plaintiff to show cause to toll the statute of limitations.

Damages in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Ohio

Damages are generally divided into two categories. Those are losses to the individual’s estate and losses to each surviving family member named in the action. Losses to the estate include burial expenses and medical expenses incurred due to the defendant’s negligence.

Family members may sue for:

  • Loss of financial support (based on the deceased’s estimated income had he or she lived);
  • Loss of household chores such as gardening, cleaning, cooking, and child care;
  • Loss of love, companionship, guidance, moral and emotional support, and consortium (if a spouse);
  • Loss of inheritance related to the deceased’s potential income or earnings; and
  • Mental anguish and despair suffered as a result of their death.

Wrongful Death Attorneys Near Me

If you have lost a loved one, you need an attorney who understands the pain and suffering that you are going through and will emphasize the emotional points to ensure that you are justly covered for your loss. Talk to Lafferty, Gallagher & Scott, LLC and we can begin litigating your wrongful death lawsuit today.

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All of our partners are AV Peer Review Rated* through Martindale-Hubbell. Out-of-state referrals are welcome for all
areas of practice we handle, including personal injury, workers’ compensation and insurance claims issues.

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