A preventable death can leave surviving family members facing profound grief and an uncertain future. If you believe someone else is responsible for your loved one’s death, you may have the right to seek compensation through a wrongful death claim.
Pursuing a claim cannot change the past, but it can help you protect your family’s future. Our Gretna wrongful death lawyers are here to listen to your family’s story, explain your options, and guide you through your next steps at a pace that feels right for you.
What Is a Wrongful Death Claim?
A wrongful death claim is a civil lawsuit that arises when someone dies because of another person’s negligence or intentional misconduct. It gives certain surviving family members a way to seek compensation for the losses they’ve suffered because of the death.
This type of legal action is separate from a criminal prosecution, which instead focuses on whether the defendant broke the law and should face punishment. This means your family may still have a wrongful death claim even if the state never brings criminal charges against the person responsible for your loved one’s death.
Why Families Choose Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers
Our team provides dedicated advocacy to clients throughout Louisiana in complex personal injury, maritime injury, and wrongful death claims. When you choose us after losing a loved one to negligence, you’ll have a team with over 121 years of combined experience standing behind you. We’ve recovered more than $100 million for our clients, and we’re ready to put that track record to work for your family.
Behind every wrongful death case in Louisiana is the story of a person who was deeply loved. Our wrongful death attorneys in Gretna will take the time to learn who your loved one was, what happened to them, and how their death has changed your family’s lives. We’ll then carefully investigate the circumstances surrounding the death and build an evidence-backed case tailored to your family’s needs. While you focus on grieving, our trial-ready team will fight for the accountability and financial recovery you deserve.
Our Successful Wrongful Death Settlements
$350,000: Obtained a settlement on behalf of a young mother who was sideswiped by an 18-wheeler. The firm’s client was a passenger in a vehicle on the interstate when an 18-wheeler sideswiped the vehicle she was riding in. She was a full-time worker and single mother. Due to injuries in the collision, the firm’s client was forced to have a surgical rhizotomy because of the collision. After litigating the 18-wheeler collision in Orleans Parish, the firm was able to reach an amicable resolution in mediation.
Common Causes of Wrongful Death in Gretna
Wrongful deaths in Gretna can arise from many different types of preventable accidents. While the setting may vary, these cases all involve a person or entity whose negligence caused a fatal injury.
Fatal Car and Truck Accidents
Heavy traffic moving through Gretna on the Westbank Expressway and Belle Chasse Highway brings a greater risk of wrongful death truck accidents and fatal car crashes. Speeding, distracted driving, unsafe lane changes, impaired driving, or driver fatigue are all forms of negligence that can cause a fatality and lead to a wrongful death on the road.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Fatalities
In many parts of Gretna, incomplete sidewalks and limited bike lanes can force pedestrians and bicyclists to share the road with vehicle traffic. With little protection from the force of a moving vehicle, these individuals are particularly vulnerable to fatal injuries. If a fatal crash took your loved one’s life while they were walking or riding a bicycle, your family may have grounds for a wrongful death claim.
Workplace and Industrial Accidents
Many people in the Gretna area work in warehouses, manufacturing plants, rail yards, and maritime settings. These jobs carry inherent dangers, and a company’s failure to follow safety protocols can further heighten the risk.
Surviving family members are generally limited to workers’ compensation benefits for cases involving employer negligence. However, you might have a wrongful death claim against a negligent third party, such as a contractor or property owner, who contributed to your loved one’s death.
Unsafe Premises and Other Fatal Accidents
Fatal accidents can also occur due to unsafe property conditions in parking lots, apartment complexes, stores, restaurants, and other spaces around Gretna. Wet floors, exposed wiring, inadequate security, or blocked fire exits can be deadly when property owners or managers fail to address them. Wrongful death claims can also arise from dog attacks, defective products, or boat accidents.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Louisiana?
Louisiana law establishes a strict order of priority for wrongful death claims, and not every relative has the right to file. A relative in a later group may file a wrongful death claim in Louisiana only when no one in any earlier group survives:
- First: The deceased person’s spouse and children have first priority.
- Second: The parents may file if there is no surviving spouse or child.
- Third: The siblings may file if there is no surviving spouse, child, or parent.
- Fourth: The grandparents may file if none of the other relatives survive.
Adoptive family relationships have the same status as biological relationships when determining eligibility. Other relatives, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, are not eligible for wrongful death compensation.
What Compensation Can a Gretna Wrongful Death Claim Recover?
If you lost a close relative due to someone else’s negligence, our Gretna personal injury lawyers can help you seek compensation for the financial and personal losses you’ve suffered because of the death. A wide range of economic and non-economic damages may be available based on your family’s specific circumstances:
- Economic damages: These are damages intended to cover your financial losses. Compensation can include funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support, and the value of the household services your loved one provided.
- Non-economic damages: These are damages intended to account for the ways the loss has affected you personally, such as mental anguish, loss of companionship, and loss of parental guidance.
Protect Your Family's Rights After a Wrongful Death in Gretna
When negligence takes the life of someone you love, you have an ally in Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers. We’re here to help you understand your rights and provide the clarity you need to make an informed decision about your legal options. If you decide to move forward with a wrongful death claim, we’ll be ready to pursue fair compensation on your family’s behalf.
Our Gretna wrongful death lawyers are available 24/7 to discuss your case. Call 504-474-6158 or complete our online contact form for a free case review. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no fees unless we win.
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- How Long Does a Wrongful Death Case Take in Louisiana?
- How to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Louisiana
- What Is the Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death Cases in Louisiana?
- What to Do After a Wrongful Death in Louisiana
- Gretna Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
- Gretna Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
- Gretna Workplace Injury Lawyer
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