The death of a loved one is heartbreaking, but when that death is due to someone else’s wrongful behavior, you are left dealing with more than grief. And these deaths are almost always unexpected, which can leave you scrambling to deal with childcare, paying bills, arranging a funeral, and more. On top of these challenges, you may also struggle with rage, anger, and a desire for justice. Wrongful death lawsuits provide you a way to get a form of justice for the death of a loved one.
Grief can be very isolating, but you do not have to navigate the process alone. A Litchfield wrongful death lawyer at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, can help you on this journey. We understand and honor the vulnerability and grief you and your family are going through. While our personal injury attorneys cannot bring your loved one back, we can give them back their voice and help them get justice.
Under Connecticut General Statutes § 52-555, when someone’s action or inaction results in the death of another (the deceased), the law may allow the deceased’s executor or administrator to file a lawsuit. If the person who died created a will before their death, this document should say who they picked to serve as the executor. If not, the court may choose someone using the state’s intestacy rules—the laws about what happens if a person doesn’t have a will. This makes Connecticut different from other states—most allow surviving family members to bring wrongful death lawsuits.
Connecticut allows people to bring wrongful death actions generally for two years after the death of a loved one but not more than five years after the event that caused the injury. However, there are some exceptions to that rule—some involving homicide—making the unique facts in your situation critical.
A wrongful death attorney at our Litchfield County law firm can meet with you and determine if you have the right to file a lawsuit on behalf of the deceased. We can also identify the applicable deadlines and help you take steps to meet them.
There are three categories of damages available in wrongful death lawsuits: economic, non-economic, and punitive. Economic damages refer to financial losses, including but not limited to medical bills, funeral expenses, and lost earnings. Non-economic damages refer to things like the deceased’s pain and suffering and loss of consortium for surviving spouses. As their name suggests, punitive damages punish wrongdoers. To qualify for punitive damages, the wrongdoer’s behavior must be extremely reckless or malicious.
In addition, state law has a special provision for certain motor vehicle accidents. Connecticut General Statutes § 14-295 may require the at-fault person or business to pay double or triple damages if your loved one died because a driver was speeding, driving recklessly, or drunk and caused a fatal crash.
It can feel distasteful trying to put a dollar value on the life of your loved one. For that reason, many people avoid talking to a wrongful death attorney. However, wrongful death claims are about more than financial damages—they are about getting justice for your loved one and providing closure for surviving family. Our Litchfield County lawyers can put our years of experience on your side as we take the legal journey for justice together.
Nothing about the wrongful death of a loved one is fair. We cannot change that. However, our team at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, can help you get justice and the compensation you and your family deserve. While taking legal action cannot bring your close relative or friend back to you, it can provide you with an empowering outlet for your grief, and closure. Reach out to our firm today to schedule a free consultation with a Litchfield wrongful death lawyer.
