If you lost a spouse, child, sibling, or parent and their death was caused by another’s negligence, we encourage you to call us immediately to schedule a free case evaluation. We want to hear your story, and discuss your legal options with you and explain how we can help. If retained, we will work tirelessly in seeking to obtain for you the full and fair compensation to which you are rightfully entitled.
When you hire Mickelsen Dalton LLC, you will only pay a fee if we are successful in obtaining compensation on your behalf, and we advance all litigation expenses while a case is ongoing. To begin discussing your case with a South Carolina wrongful death attorney, contact us online.
Wrongful death claims are taken against a defendant who has caused the death of another person, either via negligence or through deliberate action. Wrongful death claims allow a deceased person’s estate and/or family members to sue the party that is legally responsible for their death.
Our South Carolina wrongful death attorneys provide tenacious, compassionate, and experienced legal representation for those who have suffered from the death of a family member due to someone else’s fault. When an individual’s life has been cut short prematurely due to someone else’s reckless or intentional actions or negligence, our goal is to help family members make the right legal decisions in seeking the fair and full compensation owed for their loss.
We are different from other law firms. We never cut corners and we will never abandon your case. Our lawyers listen to, counsel, and advocate for our clients who have experienced unspeakable tragedies, pain, and loss.
Wrongful death cases can be extremely sensitive, and we are prepared to work with our clients every step of the way and help navigate them through the complexities and challenges of the legal system.
You are already going through one of the most difficult times of your live, which is why we are here to work with you and on your schedule. We keep a constant line of communication and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to develop lasting relationships with our clients.
Our attorneys care about are clients and understand that this is more than just a case, it is your life, and you deserve justice. We want you to do what is best and most convenient for you. The South Carolina attorneys at Mickelsen Dalton will meet you at our offices, at your home, the hospital, or wherever is best for you. Our clients are the top priority.
A wrongful death lawsuit permits the victim’s surviving spouse, children, parents or other loved ones to seek financial compensation for the losses they have incurred as a result of the wrongful death. An attorney will manage the entire legal process, giving you more time to be with your loved ones.
Wrongful death cases typically demand a detailed investigation into the incident, and attorneys must examine and analyze the entire case. A wrongful death claim will almost always include the following:
Wrongful death lawyers recognize that for any family who has lost a loved one due to wrongful death, achieving justice for the victim is paramount. Because wrongful death cases can be intricate, it is critical to have an experienced attorney who is well-versed with the laws. Experienced wrongful death attorneys can aid their clients at every stage of the process in order to obtain proper justice for them.
We accept cases involving significant injuries and wrongful death arising out of:
Because we handle some of the most severe cases imaginable (and, correspondingly, hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars are at stake), litigation is often hard-fought by both our firm and the defendants. For this reason, there is an increased likelihood of trial, and we are relentless in preparing a compelling case for maximum compensation from the outset.
Regardless of the cause of a case involving a death, our South Carolina wrongful death lawyers will thoroughly investigate all matters and retain experts in building a case for liability.
Prematurely losing a loved one is always tragic, but it can be even more devastating when the death was unnecessarily caused by the negligence of another individual or business.
In some wrongful death cases it may be clear as to who is to blame – a driver causing a crash or a company that manufactured a defective product. However, in addition to the “main” person or entity at fault, others may also be liable, such as:
As soon as possible. In wrongful death cases, it will be critical to start working on a case as soon as possible, as the chances of losing evidence, memories, and witnesses increases significantly over time. Not only will the memory of witnesses change over time, but they may also move away and may be difficult to locate.
In some wrongful death cases involving vehicle crashes an accident scene will likely change soon following a crash. Skid marks will fade from rain and traffic. Traffic poles and other objects that were hit will be replaced. In some cases, a municipality may change the roadway design or other aspects in order to improve safety.
Moreover, in vehicle crashes, most vehicles now are equipped with what is known as an event recorder, or “black box.” Event recorders store critical information about a crash, such as the speed at the time of impact and whether the brakes were applied.
When vehicles are totaled, often the insurance companies involved will send the vehicles to a scrap yard where they will be demolished, and where the event recorders will be destroyed. We will want to take legal action to prevent such destruction.
As a result of these and other factors, the sooner that we are contacted, the sooner we can start working for you.
At Mickelsen Dalton, our South Carolina personal injury attorneys understand the devastating financial ramifications that an untimely death can cause, especially when the decedent was the primary wage earner. Our law firm represents families on a contingency fee basis in wrongful death cases, meaning we do not require a retainer or collect a fee unless we are successful in obtaining compensation. Our fee is then equal to a percentage of the amount recovered. Further, we advance all litigation expenses while a case is ongoing, which are typically fully covered by a settlement or trial award.
In a wrongful death lawsuit, the types of potentially-recoverable damages include:
Successfully arguing for wrongful death damages can be complicated, generally requiring the legal skills of an experienced wrongful death attorney. For years we have successfully represented the families of those killed in tragic circumstances and have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for injured victims. We can help you pursue the maximum compensation to which you may be entitled for your losses, and we will not hesitate to take a case to trial if a fair settlement cannot be reached.
Certain family members can file a lawsuit against the person, company, or entity responsible for the accident or catastrophic injury in South Carolina with the help of a wrongful death attorney.
A civil action for a wrongful death allows the family to seek justice and obtain proper compensation for the loss of their loved one. No form of money can bring a loved one back, but it can help with current and future costs that the family may have incurred from the unexpected loss.
To hold the defendant accountable in a wrongful death action, the plaintiffs (typically the estate of the deceased victim) must bear the same burden of proof that the victim would have faced if the victim had lived. So, in the case of negligence, this entails:
A wrongful death lawsuit is brought in civil court, separate from any criminal charges the defendant may be facing. Families who have been saddened by the untimely death of a loved one as a result of another person’s negligence have legal redress in the form of civil lawsuit.
The death of a loved one may impact many people’s lives, but not everyone is entitled to pursue damages through a wrongful death lawsuit. In most cases, the personal representative of a victim’s estate must file a lawsuit on behalf of surviving family members. However, in certain states, a surviving spouse, child, or parent of a decedent may also be entitled to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Additionally, different states have different requirements concerning who is entitled to recover benefits in a wrongful death lawsuit, and often other criteria that must be met. As an example, the ability to file a wrongful death lawsuit (or to be beneficiary entitled to the proceeds of a wrongful death lawsuit) may be dependent upon matters such as whether the decedent was over the age of 18, whether the decedent was married, whether the decedent had children, and (in some cases), whether a family member was financially dependent upon the decedent.
The laws governing wrongful death lawsuits will vary from state to state. In South Carolina, the deceased’s surviving family can file a wrongful death lawsuit, but the executor or administrator of the estate must be the one to file the claim on their behalf. Once we know about the circumstances of the death of your loved one, we can explain who may be entitled to wrongful death benefits from litigation.
In a wrongful death claim, damages, usually broken down into categories of economic and non-economic losses, can include:
These types of losses and their monetary value are usually left to the judge or jury’s discretion. Due to the difficulty of quantifying these types of damages, you may need to hire an expert to establish a more specific monetary value, especially for a loss of consortium claim.
Call our law firm today to schedule a free case evaluation with our experienced South Carolina wrongful death attorneys.
At Mickelsen Dalton LLC, we want you to know that you and your family do not have to continue suffering financially after losing a loved one due to someone else’s negligence. You deserve full justice and financial compensation to pay for funeral and burial expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
As experienced wrongful death attorneys, we understand the pain and grief that you are going through, and we will do everything in our power to hold all responsible parties accountable. Contact us online or call us today at (843) 804-0428 (South Carolina) or (678) 641-9054 (Georgia) to learn about your legal options for honoring your loved one. We accept wrongful death cases in the jurisdictions to which we are admitted throughout the U.S.