People living in Columbus, Ohio, who have experienced the loss of a loved one through a fatal car crash or some other type of accident could be asking themselves what is meant when the legal profession talks about wrongful death. The term means that some sort of negligence has occurred leading to the untimely death of an individual.
Negligence can take place on a person’s job, for example, and result in a fatal workplace accident like electrocution or a building collapse. On the highway, a transportation company’s driver who is driving drunk, talking on a cellphone or texting while driving is behaving negligently. Additionally, a medical facility is negligent when its personnel allow a sick person to fall out of bed, and a physician who prescribes the wrong medication to an allergic patient is operating in a negligent manner.
In many cases, an investigation is required to uncover the factors that may have contributed to a person’s wrongful death. Family members of the deceased may be asked to provide pertinent background information, and any witnesses to the fatal accident would likely be called upon to present details of what they saw. From these facts, an investigation can reveal which entity should be held responsible for the hardship and loss, financially and otherwise, family members are left to bear.
The victim’s remaining loved ones may find it difficult to function in the deep emotional grief that follows such a loss. However, there are details and evidence available at the time of an accident that may be lost or disappear over time. For this reason, it may be beneficial for family members to share their story with an attorney, in order to help determine if court action might be useful in holding responsible parties accountable.
Source: LVTD, “Wrongful Death“, October 01, 2014