If your family has lost a loved one, and you believe that the death was caused by the negligence of another, you may need our services. There are often many complicated and difficult factual and legal issues. How did the injury occur? What was the mechanism of the injury? What legal duties were owed? Was a product defect responsible for the injury? Have all the potentially responsible parties been identified? What are all of the legally recoverable damages?
We handle wrongful death cases which arise from many different circumstances; the most frequent cases we handle involve:
- Car accidents
- Tractor-trailer accidents / Truck wrecks
- Product defects
- Dangerous conditions on property
Getting started - If you believe you have a potential claim, call us. We will be happy to discuss your situation and answer any questions we can, at no charge. Sometimes we cannot help, and we will tell you that. In appropriate circumstances, we will help you look into your claim; this generally means we will meet with you in the office, gather the medical records or insurance records or other documents, investigate the facts, and research the legal or medical issues. We will determine with you whether a case should be pursued.
Fees - In almost all circumstances, we do this preliminary work at our financial risk — if we determine together that we should not pursue a case, you owe us nothing. If we determine together that the case should be pursued, we will do so on a contingent fee basis. Our percentage fees vary depending on the nature of the case and the amount of work involved; it can vary from about 20% in some limited circumstances, to 25%-35% in many circumstances, to 40% or more in some circumstances.
Time deadlines - If you intend to pursue a wrongful death claim, it is important that you proceed as promptly as you reasonably can. With time, memories fade, witnesses move away, and evidence otherwise disappears. Also, keep in mind that the law of every state includes rules — statutes of limitations — which require that claims be filed in court within a specified period of time after the accident or injury occurs. In Missouri, most wrongful death cases must be filed within three years after the date of death (but if the death arises from medical treatment, the time may be shorter). The period is usually extended when the injured person is a minor. There are some exceptions and special circumstances that may affect these rules, so every case must be carefully examined on its own with respect to the statute of limitations.
We welcome your call. Let us put our experience to work for you.