The decision to hire a wrongful death lawyer after the death of a loved one is never easy: many people even wonder if hiring a wrongful death lawyer was the right thing to do, or if they should even bother going ahead with the case. Grief is difficult enough without the added stress and turmoil that surrounds suing a company or other entity for wrongful death!
While the circumstances surrounding hiring a wrongful death attorney are not pleasant, you should usually seek legal counsel in just about every case where a wrongful death suit is brought about. Why? Let’s look closely at why you may need a wrongful death lawyer, and how to hire the best one for your case.
Why do you need a wrongful death lawyer?
In most cases of wrongful death, you (the family or spouse of the loved one who has died) will bring a case against a defendant who has the time and means to hire a professional legal team. Most defendants—the party being sued—are companies or manufacturers; they have no qualms about bringing in their experienced and likely very expensive legal team to quash any suit that comes their way.
Without a legal team, you are likely to be bested by the defendant—even if you are in the right with your wrongful death suit. Wrongful death suits are legal matters, and you will need a legal representative on your side to help you navigate the confusing and sometimes contradicting laws, regulations and even loopholes that could affect your case.
For example: to prove that the defendant is responsible for wrongful death, you will need to show evidence they were at fault for the death of your loved one. If you are not well versed in the law, you might not present the evidence in a clear and “court-approved” manner that benefits your case. A wrongful death lawyer will know how to present the evidence in a way that shows the defendant’s culpability.
Finding a wrongful death lawyer
A lot of lawyers claim to specialize in wrongful deaths—but you will naturally want to use the best of the best, especially if you are facing a difficult defendant. To find the very best wrongful death lawyers, look for lawyers who have all of the following traits:
- Experience with wrongful death cases; preferably, they should have a specialty in wrongful death suits
- Previous client experience with wrongful death cases that had a positive outcome
- Willingness to give clear information about their prices and other legal fees
If you are looking for a wrongful death lawyer Chicago, remember to look for lawyers who have it all: professionalism, experience, knowledge and plenty of satisfied clients under their belt.
