Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Attorney

Nothing prepares you for the loss of a loved one. When that loss comes on the heels of another accident, your frustrations end up exacerbated. You have the right to seek justice in these situations, and the state of Utah lets you do so.

If you want to challenge someone’s negligent behavior in court, you can collaborate with a Salt Lake City wrongful death lawyer. 1Law can give you the space you need to grieve while building a case designed to win you compensation based on your loved one’s losses.

Representing Your Loved One’s Interests in Court

It’s natural to want to act in your loved one’s best interests after a wrongful death. You have to have a specific relationship with the deceased, though, if you want to bring a civil case to court on their behalf. Utah specifically requires that you be one of the following if you want to act on a loved one’s behalf:

• A surviving spouse
• A surviving child
• A surviving parent
• A surviving stepchild under the age of 18 at the time of the loved one’s death

Utah Code § 78B-3-105 also keeps your filing options open. For example, your loved one may have elected a personal representative prior to their passing. If this is the case, that party has the right to file a civil suit on the deceased’s behalf. 

Filing a Wrongful Death Suit on Utah’s Timeline

The deadline by which you need to file your wrongful death suit varies depending on the party you want to address in your suit. Utah Code § 78B-2-304 addresses your right to bring a suit against individuals, corporations, and government bodies.

This statute states that you have two years from the day your loved one passes to take up a civil suit against an individual or corporation. Comparatively, you have one year to file a civil suit against a government official or body whom you believe engaged in negligence.

When you’re grieving, these timelines can seem cruel. That, however, is where an attorney comes in. While you stay with your family and tend to your losses, we can step in and begin the legal process for you. A Salt Lake City, UT, wrongful death attorney updates you on a case’s progress and ensures that you have the space you need to grieve while still taking action.

Information Essential to a Wrongful Death Suit

When you file a wrongful death suit, you need to submit the information you have on hand via a document known as a complaint. A complaint, also known as a claim, allows you to elaborate on the duty of care owed to your loved one. You can also touch on ways that another party allegedly violated that duty.

Most importantly, you use a complaint to inform Salt Lake City courts that you believe a specific, named party bears the liability for your losses. You can then elaborate on those losses by presenting an estimate of your desired compensation.

Addressing Questions of Liability

Who can be held liable in a loved one’s wrongful death case? That depends on the nature of your loved one’s accident. Wrongful death cases tend to share some significant overlap with personal injury cases. When our team assigns liability for your losses, we can look at your loved one’s accident and determine which applicable parties may have been on the scene.

In most cases, our wrongful death suits can target:

• Motorists
• Motorcyclists
• Truck drivers
• Pedestrians
• Boaters
• Property owners, including landlords
• Corporations and/or manufacturers
• Auto mechanics and/or manufacturers 
• Medical professionals

Above all else, our team follows the evidence. We want to back your claim for liability with actionable proof of your losses. With that in mind, we often won’t suggest that a party bears the liability for your losses until we have the proof we need to back our claim.

Establishing Wrongful Death Settlement Requests

Your complaint needs to detail both the name of the party allegedly liable for your loved one’s death and the compensation you want in return for your loss. Your request can include the funds to cover your loved one’s losses as well as your own. These economic and non-economic losses can include:

• Medical expenses your loved one endured
• Property damaged in your loved one’s accident and its essential repairs or replacements
• Funeral expenses
• Lost wages or opportunities to work
• Emotional damages
• Loss of consortium or companionship
• Childcare or child support payments

If you’re not sure what financial support a loved one’s death might entitle you to, you can discuss your losses with one of our attorneys. We can include all losses you have the evidence to support in your request for compensation.

Discussing a Wrongful Death Suit With an Attorney

When you bring a wrongful death case to an attorney, we can begin exploring the role negligence may have played in your loved one’s passing. More specifically, we take on the legal burden of your case. This way, you can grieve and get your loved one’s affairs in order without missing Utah’s deadline on wrongful death cases.

As your case progresses, you can count on a Salt Lake City, UT, wrongful death lawyer to:

• Communicate with eyewitnesses
• Gather evidence of negligence
• Direct you toward an applicable liable party
• Keep track of upcoming legal deadlines
• Manage your communications with the allegedly-liable party
• Calculate the compensation to which you may be entitled

If you want to learn more about our civil case services, you can schedule a case consultation with 1Law. Before we take on your case, we can discuss your expectations and goals for your suit.

We Help You Represent Your Loved One’s Best Interests

Families who endure the death of a loved one can find themselves adrift. As a loved one’s representative, though, you may have the right to pursue legal action on their behalf. You can work with a wrongful death lawyer in Salt Lake City to determine what kind of complaint you could bring forward in civil court.

1Law strives to respect the time you need to grieve while also advocating for your right to compensation. You can discuss what your wrongful death case might look like after scheduling a case consultation with our team. Contact our office or use our online chat to fit us into your schedule.