Bridgeport Wrongful Death Attorneys

Lawyers for Fatal Accidents and Injuries in Bridgeport, Connecticut

The death of a loved one can be devastating in any situation. However, when a death was caused by someone else's negligence, recklessness, or intentional actions, the pain experienced by their loved ones can be compounded by anger and a sense of injustice. Families may struggle to cope with the emotional trauma of the loss, and they may also experience financial hardships due to the loss of a provider, caregiver, or source of support.

While no legal action can bring back a loved one or truly compensate a family for their absence, wrongful death claims can help to hold the responsible parties accountable while securing financial resources for a person's loved ones. At Tremont Sheldon P.C., our attorneys provide effective legal representation for families who are dealing with wrongful deaths. We work to protect their rights and help them move forward as they address their loss.

Situations Where Wrongful Deaths May Occur

Wrongful death claims may address negligence or wrongful conduct that has caused fatal injuries that could have been prevented. These situations may include:

• Motor Vehicle Accidents: Car crashes, truck accidents, motorcycle collisions, and pedestrian accidents may lead to fatalities when drivers act negligently. Speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, running red lights, and other traffic violations can lead to the deaths of innocent people daily.
• Medical Malpractice: Patients may be killed when healthcare providers fail to meet the accepted standards of care. Surgical errors, medication mistakes, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of serious conditions, birth injuries, anesthesia errors, and hospital-acquired infections can all be fatal. When doctors, nurses, hospitals, or other medical providers are responsible for the deaths of patients, families can pursue wrongful death claims and hold these providers liable.
• Workplace Accidents: Fatalities can occur when accidents take place while a person is on the job. Falls from heights, being struck by equipment or falling objects, electrocutions, machinery accidents, and vehicle crashes may kill workers who were trying to earn livings for their families. While workers' compensation may provide death benefits, third-party wrongful death claims may be available when entities other than employers bear responsibility.
• Defective Products: Dangerous designs, manufacturing defects, or inadequate warnings can lead to unreasonable risks and fatal injuries. Defective vehicles that crash or catch fire, dangerous pharmaceutical products, malfunctioning medical devices, and consumer products that cause fires or injuries can all lead to wrongful death claims against manufacturers and sellers.
• Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse: Severe malnutrition or dehydration, untreated infections, medication errors, falls, physical abuse, or other forms of negligence can be fatal for elderly people who reside in nursing homes. When a facility has failed to provide adequate care, and this negligence has caused a resident's death, a family may have grounds for a wrongful death claim.
• Premises Liability Incidents: Slip and fall accidents may cause fatal head injuries, negligent security may allow assaults or murders to occur, drownings may take place in swimming pools, or structural failures may cause deaths. Negligent property owners may be held liable for wrongful deaths in these situations.

Connecticut Wrongful Death Laws

Wrongful death cases are addressed in Connecticut General Statutes § 52-555. This statute authorizes the executor or administrator of a deceased person's estate to file a wrongful death action on behalf of the person's surviving family members. Spouses, children, parents, or next of kin may be compensated for a person's death.

The statute of limitations provides two years from the date of a person's death to file a wrongful death claim in most cases. Missing this deadline may result in the loss of the right to obtain compensation, regardless of how strong the case may be. At Tremont Sheldon P.C., our attorneys can help families take the correct steps to file wrongful death claims and recover compensation for their losses.

Damages Available in Wrongful Death Cases

There are various types of damages that may compensate families for the economic and non-economic losses they have experienced due to a wrongful death. These may include:

• Medical and Funeral Expenses: All costs of medical treatment the deceased received before their death, ambulance and emergency services, and hospital bills should be covered. A family may also receive compensation that will address funeral and burial expenses.
• Loss of Financial Support: A family may be compensated for income and benefits the deceased would have provided over their expected working life. This may include wages and salary the deceased earned, health insurance and other benefits they provided, pension and retirement benefits, and the value of services the deceased performed for the family. Economic experts can project these losses by analyzing the deceased's earnings history, career trajectory, work-life expectancy, and family contributions.
• Loss of Companionship and Consortium: Non-economic damages can address the emotional and relational losses a family has suffered. This includes the loss of love, affection, companionship, guidance, counsel, protection, and security. Loss of consortium for a surviving spouse may reflect the loss of their marital relationship. Juries may consider the nature and quality of a family's relationships, the deceased's role in the family, and the impact of loss on surviving family members.
• Pain and Suffering of the Deceased: When a person experienced pain, suffering, or awareness of impending death, compensation may address this suffering. The extent of a person's suffering may affect the value of these damages.
• Punitive Damages: In cases involving particularly egregious conduct, such as when a defendant acted with reckless indifference to human life, willful misconduct, or malicious intent, a jury may award punitive damages as a punishment.

How Compensation Can Help a Family Move Forward

While no amount of money can replace a loved one or eliminate the grief a family has experienced due to a wrongful death, financial compensation can serve important purposes. Financial stability during a crisis can help a family avoid economic devastation. When a primary earner has died, the loss of income may make it difficult to make mortgage or rent payments and cover utilities, food, and basic necessities. Wrongful death compensation can replace this lost financial support, allowing a family to maintain their home, pay bills, and meet ongoing expenses.

Children's futures may be protected when compensation provides resources for education, healthcare, and living expenses that a deceased parent would have funded. College funds, extracurricular activities, and opportunities that require financial resources will remain accessible. Mortgage and debt relief may also be possible. Reducing or eliminating monthly obligations can decrease financial pressure and provide security for a family while they are grieving.

Medical bills that accumulated before a person's death can be overwhelming, especially when they received extensive emergency treatment, hospitalization, or intensive care before succumbing to their injuries. Wrongful death compensation can cover these medical expenses, preventing a family from facing financial ruin due to medical debt.

Closure and accountability can be significant for a grieving family. While nothing can undo a wrongful death, holding the responsible parties accountable can provide some sense that justice has been served. A family can find comfort knowing that the responsible parties faced consequences for actions that caused their loved one's death.

Contact Our Bridgeport, CT Wrongful Death Lawyers

Losing a loved one to someone else's negligence can be devastating. Emotional pain, financial pressure, and uncertainty about the future can feel overwhelming. In these cases, families deserve accountability from parties whose negligence caused a tragedy, and compensation can address the financial impact of a loss. At Tremont Sheldon P.C., our lawyers help families recover compensation through wrongful death claims while treating them with compassion and respect. Contact our Bridgeport wrongful death claim attorneys at 203-335-5145 to arrange a free consultation today.