Alpharetta Wrongful Death Attorneys Help Families Obtain Relief

Georgia firm blends compassionate counsel with aggressive advocacy

Thousands of Americans struggle every year to cope with the premature loss of a loved one, both emotionally and financially. Many Americans are not prepared to manage the deal with the financial impact of a tragic, unexpected loss. When your loved one’s death was the result of another’s inattention, recklessness or intent to cause harm, compensation might be available for final costs, income the victim would have earned and other expenses. The Georgia wrongful death attorneys at Cheeley Law Group, LLC in Alpharetta are ready to help you secure payment from an individual or business that contributed to your loved one’s death. At your free initial consultation, we evaluate the facts of your case and determine what legal strategy might work for you.

Damages available in a Georgia wrongful death claim

Georgia law allows an immediate family member of the deceased, such as a parent, child or spouse, to file a wrongful death claim the fatality results from another party’s negligence, recklessness or deliberate act or omission. Typically, a surviving family has two years to file a wrongful death claim. However, if probate of the decedent’s estate is delayed, the statute of limitations can be tolled for up to five years, allowing more time to file a claim.

A successful claimant may receive compensation for:

• Emergency medical services and health care expenses for your loved one’s care before death
• Funeral expenses and related costs, including reimbursement for cremation, caskets and burial services
• Lost wages and benefits when the decedent was a wage earner, including compensation for lifetime earnings projections

Wrongful death cases are not criminal cases. There does not need to be a conviction to hold a party financially responsible for a death. Instead, the court looks to see if the other party’s actions were the primary reason (also called proximate cause) for your loved one’s death.

Common causes of wrongful death in the Alpharetta area

A wrongful death action is similar to a personal injury claim, except that in these cases, the injury was fatal. Therefore, any event that might cause a serious personal injury is likely also to cause wrongful death, such as:

• Auto accidents —Crashes at high speeds along busy arteries, such as US 19, I-75, I-85 and I-285, can easily result in a wrongful death. Pedestrians struck by speeding automobiles, especially older adults and small children, can be fatally injured.
• Truck accidents — Because of the sheer size and weight of a commercial truck, collisions with passenger cars are more likely to be fatal. But trucking accidents can be complex and liability might be hard to prove, because the driver might not own the vehicle. Our personal injury lawyers have ample experience, so we know how to investigate the facts and construct a compelling case.                    
• Medical malpractice — Medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States. Death can be caused by missed diagnoses of illnesses such as cancer or heart disease, surgical errors, post-operative infections, medication errors, anesthesia errors and numerous other mistakes. We examine medical records, interview witnesses and consult medical experts to determine if substandard care was the cause of a patient’s death.
• Defective products — When a consumer product is unreasonably unsafe for use, the producer is liable for injuries and deaths that result. In recent years, defective automobile airbags, ignition switches and gear shifts have been proven to cause fatalities. In some instances, the harm is so widespread that the case becomes a mass tort claim with potentially thousands of plaintiffs. We represent families of women who have died of ovarian cancer lined to Johnson & Johnson talcum powder.

Sadly, this list could go on and on. That’s why our legal team is on a mission. Not only do we pursue maximum compensation for the sake of our clients, we also want our work to spur businesses and individuals to act in a safer manner. When you retain our services, we seek justice for your family as we would for our own.

Contact our Alpharetta, GA law firm for a free wrongful death consultation

Cheeley Law Group, LLC in Alpharetta provides compassionate counsel and aggressive advocacy for clients in wrongful death litigation. Please call us at 770-872-6066 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.