Wrongful death claims occur when someone loses their life due to the negligence of another person or entity. There are many different ways that a wrongful death case can come up, even though many people associate these claims with only medical negligence. Here is a look at some of the most common causes behind a wrongful death claim.
Wrongful Death Due to Premise Liability
Premise liability lawsuits are very common. These lawsuits involve negligence on the part of a property or business owner that led to an accident. For example, a slip-and-fall case is actually a type of premise liability case. Unfortunately, these cases can sometimes be so severe and drastic that they lead to the death of an innocent person. For example, if a negligent store owner stacked heavy objects on a top shelf and the item fell on a shopper and caused their death, the store owner could be held responsible due to premise liability.
Wrongful Death Due to an Automobile Accident
Automobile accidents are perhaps the most common reason for wrongful death claims. Automobile accidents can be caused by another person, but they can also be related to other things. For example, failure to mend an issue on a main highway could lead to a wrongful death lawsuit against the county road department if there was an auto accident because of it that led to the death of the person involved.
Wrongful Death Due to a Faulty Product
Faulty products do not often lead to death, but it does happen. For example, if someone buys a bottle of over-the-counter medication that is contaminated with dangerous ingredients, this could lead to them losing their life. Wrongful death due to a faulty product can sometimes be class-action lawsuits, which means there are multiple people who have either died or been harmed by the product. However, these cases can also arise from a single incident.
Wrongful Death Due to Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is, of course, one of the more common causes behind wrongful death beyond automobile accidents. Physicians, medical practitioners, nurses, and even dentists or optometrists all have a legal responsibility to provide a certain standard of care when treating a patient. If these professionals deviate from those standards and the deviation results in wrongful death, you may have reason to file a lawsuit. For example, if a doctor leaves a surgical sponge inside a patient during surgery and it leads to their death, this would be a reason to speak to an attorney.
For more information, contact a wrongful death attorney.
