Few experiences are as painful as losing a loved one because of someone else’s negligence. In addition to this emotional toll, a wrongful death can create significant financial challenges. If you believe your loved one’s death was preventable, you may have the right to seek compensation for these losses.
While no amount of money can undo the loss, a wrongful death lawsuit can provide some relief during an unimaginably difficult time. Our Hammond wrongful death lawyers are ready to listen carefully, explain your options, and guide you through your next steps.
Why Hammond Families Choose Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers
Since 2015, our firm has served people in Hammond and the surrounding communities facing the difficult aftermath of serious negligence. Our 120+ years of combined legal experience and trial-ready approach have enabled us to recover over $100 million for our clients, including many grieving families. Our founding partners were born and raised in Louisiana, giving our firm the deep local roots and knowledge necessary to build strong cases and represent your family in the Tangipahoa Parish courts.
When you choose us to represent you, we’ll take the time to understand who your loved one was, what happened to them, and how their death has affected your family. We’ll then build a personalized case strategy around your needs and fight for the results your family deserves. Our team will handle the legal burden at no upfront cost, allowing you to focus on grieving.
Our Successful Wrongful Death Settlements
- $350,000 for a wrongful death settlement for a young mother and single parent sideswiped by an 18-wheeler (Orleans Parish, resolved in mediation).
- $3,000,000 settlement for a moped rider run over by a delivery truck who suffered severe orthopedic and brain injuries.
- $1,909,504.80 settlement for a client severely injured by a driver who ran a red light.
What Counts as a Wrongful Death Under Louisiana Law?
A wrongful death in Louisiana occurs when a person dies because of someone else’s negligence or intentional misconduct. The goal of a wrongful death claim is to help the surviving family recover compensation for the ways the loss has affected them, both personally and financially. This type of legal action is separate from a criminal case, which instead focuses on determining whether someone committed a crime and should face punishment.
Each case type also uses a different standard of proof. In a wrongful death lawsuit, the family must prove its case by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning it’s more likely than not that the defendant was responsible for the death. A criminal conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a much higher standard. This means your family may still have a valid wrongful death claim even if the defendant is never convicted of a crime.
Common Causes of Wrongful Death in Hammond
Wrongful death lawsuits can arise from many different types of accidents, but all share a similar element: someone’s failure to act with reasonable care caused a preventable loss of life. If your loved one passed away in any of these types of incidents, our wrongful death attorneys in Hammond, LA, are ready to discuss your legal options.
Fatal Car and Truck Accidents
Located at the intersection of I-12 and I-55, Hammond sees a steady flow of passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. When a driver chooses to speed, make unsafe lane changes, follow too closely, or drive while fatigued, impaired, or distracted, they can cause a catastrophic car or fatal truck accident that forever changes a family.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Fatalities
Located at the intersection of I-12 and I-55, Hammond sees a steady flow of passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. When a driver chooses to speed, make unsafe lane changes, follow too closely, or drive while fatigued, impaired, or distracted, they can cause a catastrophic car or fatal truck accident that forever changes a family.
Workplace and Industrial Accidents
Many Hammond residents work in warehouses, maritime settings, construction sites, and other industrial fields that carry a serious risk of fatal injuries. When employer negligence causes a work-related death, surviving family members are generally limited to workers’ compensation benefits. However, your family may still have the right to file a wrongful death claim in Louisiana against a negligent third party.
Unsafe Premises and Other Fatal Accidents
Property owners and managers have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors. If your loved one’s death was caused by a hazard on someone else’s property, such as unsafe flooring, exposed wiring, inadequate security, or blocked exits, you may have grounds for a wrongful death claim based on premises liability. A Hammond wrongful death claim may also arise from a fatal defective product incident or dog attack.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Hammond?
Louisiana law gives only certain relatives the right to file a wrongful death claim. Your eligibility depends on your relationship to the deceased and whether anyone in a higher-priority group survives:
- If you are the spouse or child: You have first priority.
- If you are a parent: You may file only if the deceased left no spouse or child.
- If you are a sibling: You may file only if there is no surviving spouse, child, or parent.
- If you are a grandparent: You may file only if none of the other listed relatives survive.
When several relatives in the highest eligible group want to pursue a claim, each may seek compensation for their own losses under the same legal action. If no listed beneficiary survives, another relative cannot bring a wrongful death claim.
Compensation Available in a Hammond Wrongful Death Claim
A wrongful death claim may provide compensation for the financial hardship and personal losses your family has experienced as a result of your loved one’s death. The damages available will depend on your relationship with the deceased and the specific ways the loss has affected your family:
- Economic damages: Compensation for economic damages includes funeral and burial costs, replacing the financial support your loved one would have provided, and accounts for the cost of lost household services.
- Non-economic damages: Compensation for non-economic damages recognizes the personal impact of your loved one’s death, such as mental anguish and the loss of companionship and parental guidance.
If your loved one was partly responsible for the fatal accident, Louisiana’s comparative fault law may affect how much your family can recover for these losses. If your loved one was less than 51% at fault, your compensation could be reduced by their percentage of fault. If they were 51% or more at fault, your family may lose the right to recover compensation.
Talk With a Hammond Wrongful Death Lawyer
You’re not alone in your fight for answers and accountability after a wrongful death in Louisiana. Our legal team at Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers is here to help you prove the at-fault party’s negligence and pursue the financial recovery your family needs to move forward.
Our trial-ready team is available 24/7 to start taking the legal burden off your shoulders. Contact us online or call 504-474-6158 for your free case review. There are no fees unless we win.
On This Page
Let's Get Started on Your Case
NO FEES Unless We Win!
OUR BLOG
Insights and Updates from Our Legal Team
