Wrongful Death Lawyers in Gainesville
Giving a Voice to Victims of Fatal Accidents
When you lose a loved one to the mistakes of a third party, the emotional devastation can feel overwhelming. Part of you deserves to mourn, and another part will want to seek justice and closure. Our Gainesville wrongful death attorneys are here to help you follow both parts of your heart by providing comprehensive and compassionate legal guidance.
It would be our honor to manage a wrongful death claim for you and the loved one that you lost. We handle each case with care, sensitivity, and determination. While you allow yourself to grieve as you should, we can go into the details of your claim, deal with insurance company representatives and opposing counsel, investigate evidence, and much more.
Begin your wrongful death claim confidently. Call Hasty Pope, LLP at (770) 741-1951 today.
Can You File a Wrongful Death Claim?
Only certain parties in Georgia are allowed to file a wrongful death claim after losing a loved one in an accident or due to intentional wrongdoing.
Parties who can file a wrongful death claim in Georgia include:
- Spouse
- Adult child
- Parent
- Estate representative
The state also lists potential claimants by priority. Surviving spouses get first priority to file a claim, and they must also represent any minor children they shared with the deceased. At least 33% of any money recovered through the claim must go to the spouse who filed. If no spouse can or wants to file, then an adult child gets the next opportunity, and so forth.
Value of a Wrongful Death Claim
The compensation that you can seek in a wrongful death claim filed in Georgia can be extensive due to the state allowing various damages to be cited. Monetary damages can include what the deceased would have likely earned in their career had they never passed away in the fatal accident or incident. Money spent on the final medical care the deceased received can be collected, too, as can be any expenses related to a funeral, burial, or wake. You can also estimate the cost of support and companionship lost due to the wrongful death. For example, if the deceased took care of all household chores because you have a disability, then you could seek money to pay for help to now complete those chores.
Damages can also be sought for non economic damages, though. The pain and suffering experienced by the deceased in their final days after the fatal accident can be counted as non economic damage. Your own experienced emotional trauma likely cannot be included in your damages, though.
Not Much Time to File a Claim
You only have two years from the date of your loved one’s death to file a wrongful death claim due to Georgia’s statute of limitations. Once that statute expires, any claim filed afterward can be dismissed by the court without any chance to challenge it.
There are some exceptions to the two-year statute of limitations, though. When a life is taken due to criminal activity, such as murder or manslaughter, the statute of limitations usually begins once any related criminal cases are concluded. If the deceased’s estate does not go through probate, then the court can add a five-year extension to the statute of limitations due to those complications.
Trust in the Experienced Hands of Hasty Pope, LLP
When everything seems upside-down in your life due to the wrongful death of a loved one, please remember that our Gainesville wrongful death attorneys are here to lend legal guidance as well as genuine moral support. We have more than 150 years of collective legal experience, backed by more than $100 million in recoveries for our clients across the decades. With our experience and reputation, you know you can trust us to manage your wrongful death claim at your pace and while always upholding your best interests and the good memory of your loved one. We can even take your case to trial if that means pursuing justice.
Call (770) 741-1951 or fill out an online contact form today.