Legal Options for Families After a Fatal Car Accident in St. Louis
When a loved one dies in a car accident, you may be struggling to cope with a lot of sudden, significant changes in your life. If the crash resulted from another driver’s careless or reckless actions, our experienced St. Louis wrongful death lawyers can help you understand your family’s legal rights after a fatal car accident.
Why Your Family Needs Our Firm After a Deadly Car Crash
When you trust Sumner Law Group, LLC, with your family’s wrongful death claim after a fatal car accident, you can rest easy knowing an experienced attorney will be managing every aspect of your claim. We’ll thoroughly investigate the crash, identify all liable parties, and build a robust claim to pursue the maximum compensation you deserve. That can allow you the space you need to grieve, heal, and manage the aftermath of your loss.
Common Causes and Types of Fatal Car Crashes in St. Louis
According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, 1,016 people died in car accidents statewide in a single recent year. Some of the most common causes of fatal accidents include:
- Speeding
- Impaired driving
- Distracted driving
- Reckless driving
Fatal accidents take many forms, including examples such as head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, T-bone crashes, and accidents involving failure to yield the right-of-way.
Legal Options for Families After a Fatal Car Accident in St. Louis
After a loved one’s death, your family may have two legal options: a wrongful death claim and a survival action. Under Missouri law, in a wrongful death claim, an eligible family member files a lawsuit seeking compensation for the losses experienced by the family as a result of their loved one’s death. In a survival action, a representative of the estate seeks losses the deceased person would’ve been entitled to had they survived. These car accident fatality claims may be brought together or separately.
Potential Compensation in a Successful Wrongful Death Case
Missouri law allows eligible family members, starting with the spouse or children of the deceased, to seek compensation through a wrongful death claim. If there is no surviving spouse or children, grandchildren, surviving parents, or surviving siblings may file a claim. You may be able to recover compensation for two types of losses:
- Economic damages – This category includes your loved one’s medical expenses prior to their death, funeral expenses and burial expenses, and the loss of their income and future earnings.
- Non-economic damages – This category includes intangible losses, such as your loved one’s pain and suffering, the loss of companionship and comfort they would have provided, and the mental distress suffered by the family members left behind.
Settlement vs. Trial: Making the Best Decision for Your Family
Our attorneys can skillfully handle all communications and negotiations with the insurance companies. If the insurers refuse to settle for the full and fair compensation you deserve, we will not hesitate to proceed to trial.
Insurance settlements after a fatal car crash frequently resolve wrongful death claims, but sometimes, it is necessary to seek the justice you and your loved one deserve by proceeding to trial. Every case is different, and our attorneys will help you decide whether a pre-trial settlement or going to court is the best means to recover the money you need after your loved one’s death.
How Our Attorneys Can Assist with Your Fatal Car Accident Case
If you lost a family member in a fatal car crash, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault driver or other liable party. A wrongful death attorney from Sumner Law Group, LLC, is ready to handle all aspects of your case, offering you the strong legal advocacy and compassion you need during this difficult time.
Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your family’s legal rights after a fatal car accident.
Brent A. Sumner is the Managing Partner at Sumner Law Group, LLC. He focuses his practice exclusively on cases that involve serious personal injuries. Over the years, he has successfully represented thousands of individuals and families, recovering millions of dollars in compensation for injured accident victims.
