You want someone to answer for your loved one’s wrongful death. Cleveland wrongful death lawyers are here to help. While Ohio’s criminal courts charge negligent parties with manslaughter, we can help you get the financial support you need to stabilize your family’s financial future.
Cooper Elliott and its Cleveland personal injury lawyers understand that no amount of money will bring a loved one back to you. That’s not why we fight for our clients. Since 1995, we’ve fought to help families like yours get justice for tragic losses. You can learn more about our approach to cases like yours during a free evaluation with our staff.
Who Benefits from a Cleveland Wrongful Death Claim?
A deceased person’s spouse, children, and parents stand to receive compensation from a wrongful death claim. However, under Ohio law, no party can pursue a wrongful death claim unless they serve as the deceased’s personal executor.
Personal executors, or personal representatives, take care of the deceased’s interests and estate on their behalf when they no longer can. A person can identify their personal executor in their will. Alternatively, probate courts can step in and elect someone’s personal representative should that person have failed to do so while they were alive.
A person’s children, spouse, or parents can serve as a personal representative, but only if they’re elected to that position. These parties do not inherently assume this role without the consent of the deceased or a probate court. If you’re unsure who your loved one’s personal representative is, we invite you to discuss the matter with a wrongful death lawyer.
For a free legal consultation with a wrongful death lawyer serving Cleveland, call 614-481-6000
Cleveland Wrongful Death Lawyers Can Help You Recover
So you’re your loved one’s personal executor. What steps do you have to take to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf? If you want to make the most of the process, we recommend you call a Cleveland wrongful death attorney.
Our team can walk you through the process of:
- Investigating your loved one’s death
- Naming a liable party
- Establishing the value of your losses
- Filing a claim on time
- Bringing your case to court
- Negotiating for a fair settlement
We can take point on all of these processes, making it easier for you to prioritize your mental and emotional well-being.
We Mitigate Insurance Companies’ Negative Influence
Insurance companies don’t often treat grieving families with the respect they deserve. Unfortunately, this means you may find yourself dealing with a pushy insurance claims adjuster well before you feel ready to go over the logistics of a loved one’s passing.
Most insurance claims adjusters want to pressure you into accepting an insufficient settlement offer well before you’ve had time to process the value of your case. Many insurance claims adjusters may even use underhanded techniques to get you to submit a statement about your loved one’s death. That statement, in the wrong contexts, could rob you of your right to support.
This is where our team comes in. We can stand between you and insurance companies in the weeks and months following your loved one’s passing. Our influence can mitigate a company’s efforts to act in bad faith. It can also preserve your right to recover damages under a liable party’s insurance policy.
We Prioritize Your Right to Maximized Compensation
Speaking of damages, you have the right to recover support based on your economic and non-economic losses when filing a wrongful death claim. However, before you request that support, you need to calculate the total value of your case. Our team can do the math to establish an accurate settlement estimate by finding the sum of losses like:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of income
- Funeral expenses
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Premortem medical care
- Hospice, if applicable
- Property damage and restoration
Cleveland Wrongful Death Lawyer Near Me 614-481-6000
When to File a Wrongful Death Claim
Ohio courts categorize their wrongful death claims under the broader umbrella of personal injury claims. As such, all wrongful death claims abide by the statute of limitations set for Ohio’s personal injury cases. According to Revised Code § 2305.10, this means that Ohio residents have no more than two years to file a wrongful death claim after a loved one’s passing.
However, there are exceptions to the rule. If the deceased’s personal executor is not in a physical state where they can represent the deceased, a wrongful death lawyer in Cleveland may file for a case extension under the state’s “tolling” laws.
Similarly, we can argue for a family’s right to file a wrongful death case if it comes to light that the family was unaware of their right to file a claim. Our right to do so most often comes to light in cases involving unclear liability. If you think you may have the right to tell a loved one’s wrongful death case, call our team to discuss your options now.
Click to contact our Cleveland Personal Injury Lawyers today
Book a Case Evaluation Before Time Runs Out
It’s not fair to ask you to go to court in the wake of a loved one’s passing. That’s why our team steps up and advocates for you. Our Cleveland wrongful death lawyers preserve your right to legal action without infringing on your right to grieve. In doing so, we can help you secure a settlement that addresses the full breadth of your family’s losses.
You can book a free case evaluation with our personal injury lawyers today.
Call or text 614-481-6000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
