A wrongful death lawsuit is a legal action brought by surviving family members after someone dies due to another person’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional act. These lawsuits seek compensation for the losses suffered by loved ones, both financial and emotional, after a sudden, preventable tragedy.
Many families are unaware that a wide variety of fatal incidents can open the door to a wrongful death claim in Washington DC. While every case is unique, certain types of accidents frequently lead to successful wrongful death lawsuits. Below is an overview of some of the most common situations that lead to these accidents:
Car Accidents
Many wrongful death claims involve car accidents, often when a driver acts irresponsibly or breaks traffic laws. Common causes include distracted or drunk driving, reckless driving, speeding, running red lights, ignoring stop signs, and failing to yield, particularly at intersections or merging onto the highway.
A single bad decision can put innocent lives at risk and lead to a wrongful death claim.
Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes
Crashes involving commercial trucks and delivery vehicles present unique challenges, since companies or employers are frequently involved in addition to the driver. Causes include violations by tractor-trailer or big-rig operators, overloaded vehicles, or expired equipment.
Liability might fall not just on the driver but also their employer, the company managing the fleet, or others who put unsafe vehicles on the road.
Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Collisions
Riders and walkers experience life-threatening harm in accidents, as they don’t have a vehicle to absorb forces. Negligence is common when drivers fail to check mirrors and avoid motorcycles, bike riders, or people on foot. Some cases arise from “dooring,” sudden right turns, or disregard for bike lanes across intersections and crosswalks.
Medical Malpractice and Healthcare Negligence
Fatal medical mistakes are unfortunately common in hospital settings. This could result from diagnostic errors (misdiagnosis or severe delays), where warning signs are overlooked or proper tests aren’t run. Other claims involve errors during surgery, anesthesia mistakes, medication mix-ups, unmonitored side effects, or pharmacy errors with dosages.
Workplace Accidents
Job sites, especially in the construction industry, are inherently dangerous and can lead to fatal accidents. Workers face high risks of fatal falls from ladders, off of lifts, scaffolding failure, or unfinished areas. Employers, equipment suppliers, other contractors, or even property owners can all share in liability in these incidents.
Wrongful death claims arising from job sites may supplement what families can get through traditional workers’ compensation insurance.
Dangerous Property Conditions (Premises Liability)
Property owners, landlords, and businesses must make spaces reasonably safe for guests, residents, and visitors. Wrongful death lawsuits can happen after fatal slip and falls. Inadequate lighting, bad railings, or unsafe stairways increase the risk, especially for children or the elderly.
Drownings in unsupervised or poorly maintained pools, especially hotels and apartment complexes, are another devastating source of wrongful death lawsuits.
Nursing Home and Care Facility Neglect
Vulnerable and elderly individuals frequently suffer injuries and sometimes even fatalities while they are under the care of a nursing home. These cases often arise because of malnutrition, dehydration, untreated infections, and overall neglect.
When a patient isn’t taken care of or watched after properly, falls are also more likely to happen, which can lead to death in elderly individuals.
Fatal Incidents Involving Criminal Acts
Some wrongful death claims are related to intentional, criminal actions. This could include assaults or shootings that lead to someone’s death, even if that person wasn’t the intended target.
While there may be criminal charges filed for certain behavior, wrongful death civil cases never require a criminal conviction or charges to be filed – they are totally separate proceedings.
If you have any questions about wrongful death cases and if you’re entitled to file one, our team is here to help. Contact our personal injury attorney in DC today to schedule a free consultation.