Chicago, IL Wrongful Death Attorneys

Skilled Wrongful Death Lawyers for Fatal Accidents and Injuries in Chicago, Illinois

Losing a family member can be an incredibly painful experience. When a person has been killed because of someone else's negligence, reckless behavior, or intentional actions, the grief can become even more unbearable. In addition to experiencing emotional trauma, family members may face uncertainty about their financial future, unanswered questions about what happened, and the daunting task of dealing with complex legal issues during a time of mourning.

At Gallagher & Kosner Law, our lawyers provide compassionate representation for families who have lost loved ones, working with them to address concerns related to wrongful death claims. We understand that there is no way to bring back a loved one or fill the void left by their absence, but we can help families take steps to hold the responsible parties accountable and obtain financial compensation that will help them address the hardships they have experienced. Our legal team will handle the complex legal issues related to a wrongful death so a family can focus on supporting each other and beginning the healing process.

Situations That Can Lead to Wrongful Deaths

Preventable deaths can occur in situations involving negligence, carelessness, or intentional misconduct. Wrongful death claims can address tragic incidents such as:

• Motor Vehicle Collisions: Car accidents, truck crashes, motorcycle collisions, and pedestrian accidents may claim lives when drivers engage in distracted driving, operate vehicles while intoxicated, speed through residential areas, or ignore traffic signals. A parent walking their child to school may be struck and killed by a driver who is texting behind the wheel. A commuter may lose their life when a commercial truck driver is fatigued and falls asleep at the wheel.
• Medical Negligence: Healthcare providers who fail to meet the accepted standards of care may be responsible for patient deaths due to issues such as misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes, failure to monitor patients properly, or delays in providing treatment. A patient experiencing a heart attack may die because emergency room staff misread symptoms and sent them home. A surgical patient may suffer a fatal reaction when an anesthesiologist administers the wrong dosage.
• Premises Hazards: Property owners who neglect their duty to maintain safe conditions can put visitors at risk of fatal injuries. Slip and fall accidents, drownings in swimming pools, deaths from fires in buildings, or violent attacks in areas with inadequate security may be addressed through wrongful death claims.
• Defective Products: Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can be held liable when dangerous products cause fatal injuries. Defective vehicle components that fail during operation, contaminated food products, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, and malfunctioning consumer goods may cause deaths.
• Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect: Elderly residents in long-term care facilities may die from untreated bedsores, dehydration, malnutrition, medication errors, or falls that occurred because of inadequate supervision. When facilities prioritize profits over patient care, vulnerable residents may pay the ultimate price, and families will need to understand how to hold these facilities responsible.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?

The personal representative named in the deceased person's will or appointed by a probate court will typically file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the person's surviving family members. This can help ensure that one claim will be filed on behalf of all eligible family members rather than multiple lawsuits.

Next of kin who may receive compensation for a wrongful death include the surviving spouse and children of the deceased. If there are no surviving spouse or children, the deceased person's parents or siblings may be entitled to compensation. In cases where the deceased person was supporting other dependents, those relationships may also be considered when determining who may receive compensation.

Damages in Wrongful Death Cases

Illinois law allows families to recover various forms of compensation that will address the economic losses and the intangible harm caused by losing a loved one. Our attorneys work to build comprehensive claims that account for the full scope of a family's damages.

Economic damages will compensate a family for measurable financial losses. These may include medical expenses for treatment provided before the person's death, funeral and burial costs, and the lost financial support the deceased would have provided to their family. When a family's primary wage earner dies, the loss of the income they would have earned can affect the family's standard of living for years to come. Financial analysts can calculate the value of lost earnings, accounting for the deceased person's age, occupation, education, health, and earning potential.

The loss of household services may also be addressed in the compensation provided to a family. When a family member who performed childcare, home maintenance, transportation, or other valuable services dies, other family members may need to perform these tasks themselves, or they may need to pay someone else to do them. Compensation can account for the value of these losses.

A family may also receive non-economic damages that will address the profound personal loss they have experienced. The grief, sorrow, and mental suffering experienced by family members may be recognized through financial compensation. A person's spouses may be compensated for the loss of companionship, comfort, affection, and a marital relationship. Children who lose a parent may be compensated for the loss of guidance, nurturing, education, and a parent-child relationship.

In addition to wrongful death damages, the estate of a deceased person may be compensated for the damages the person could have recovered if they had survived. These may include compensation for pain and suffering the person experienced before their death, as well as any property damage or other losses that occurred.

Legal Support for Families in Wrongful Death Cases

Families may grapple with numerous concerns as they move forward after a loved one's wrongful death. They may worry about the cost of legal representation during a time when their finances are already strained. Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, meaning we will only collect attorney's fees if we secure compensation for our clients. This arrangement ensures that a family will have access to quality legal counsel without upfront costs.

Questions about how long the process will take can weigh heavily on grieving families. Some wrongful death cases may be resolved through settlement negotiations within months, while others may require litigation that can extend for a year or longer. Our team works to keep clients informed throughout the legal process while taking steps to resolve cases efficiently.

Families may worry about having to relive painful details through depositions, testimony, and reviewing evidence. While our lawyers cannot completely eliminate the emotional difficulty of pursuing a wrongful death claim, we will handle as much of the legal work as possible and make sure clients are fully prepared to participate in a case. We treat our clients with dignity and respect throughout these challenging situations.

Our attorneys will conduct complete examinations of the circumstances surrounding a person's death, working with investigators, accident reconstruction specialists, medical professionals, and other experts to establish liability and document damages. We will gather evidence such as police reports, medical records, employment records, financial documents, and witness statements. With our comprehensive approach, we will build a strong foundation for a wrongful claim while demonstrating the full extent of the losses a family has suffered and fighting to secure full compensation.

Contact Our Chicago Wrongful Death Lawyers

After the death of a loved one, a family deserves answers and accountability. The team at Gallagher & Kosner Law can evaluate these situations and help families understand their legal options. We will work to achieve financial security and justice for a family and help them move forward after suffering a tragic loss. Contact our Chicago, IL wrongful death claim attorneys at 312-910-5050 to arrange a free consultation.