What to Do If You Suspect Fault of a Loved One’s Death

Losing a loved one is difficult enough without the suspicion their death could have been avoided. If you believe their employer, a healthcare provider, a prison, or another organization or individual is to blame, you will need to gather evidence to prove who was at fault.

Help is available to help you seek justice for your partner, friend, or family member, and tactics can strengthen your case against the guilty party. Find out what to do if you suspect fault of a loved one’s death.

Learn About Wrongful Death

If your loved one’s life was cut short and there is no clear reason why, they could have been a victim of wrongful death, such as:

• A vehicle accident
• Slip or fall injury
• Occupational hazard
• Medical malpractice
• A birth injury
• Product defect
• Premises accident
• Neglect or abuse
• A criminal action
• A dog attack

Learn as much as possible about a loved one’s accident to identify if their death was potentially the fault of another person or company.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

Contacting a personal injury attorney could help you seek financial justice for a loved one’s death. As they have extensive experience with wrongful death cases and personal injuries, you could build a strong claim against the at-fault party. While the money will not bring your loved one back, it could help you move on financially and may prevent a similar accident from happening to another family in the future. 

Request an Autopsy

If you suspect your loved one’s death was caused by another person or company, consider requesting an autopsy to confirm or rule out your suspicions. The burden of proving fault will belong to the person or family embarking on a wrongful death lawsuit. As an autopsy confirms the cause of death, it could strengthen your case and increase your likelihood of receiving the compensation deserved. A personal injury attorney can provide advice regarding requesting an autopsy.

Learn About the 4 Elements of a Wrongful Death Case

To develop a rock-solid wrongful death claim, you must prove the following four elements:

• Negligence (prove negligent actions)
• Breach of duty (prove how a person or company abandoned their duty, such as doctor neglecting their duty of care)
• Causation (prove how their negligence caused a loved one’s death)
• Damages (provide evidence to justify damages, such as medical bills, burial fees, a loss of income, a loss of protection or inheritance, etc.)

A reputable personal injury attorney will strive to provide strong, comprehensive evidence to prove your claim, which may even include witness testimonies.

Conclusion

Losing a loved one unexpectedly is never easy, but foul play can place a greater emotional toll on the deceased’s loved ones. If you suspect another individual or company is at fault, reach out to an experienced attorney to pursue a case. They can gather evidence to provide your family with a greater insight into a loved one’s death while helping secure compensation to move on financially. Plus, the case could prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future, protecting other families from a similar heartache.