Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Lawyer

What Is a Wrongful Death Case in Salt Lake City, UT?

Any time you lose a loved one, it can feel like a cutting injustice. Is your case a wrongful death case? Our wrongful death attorneys can meet with you in a free consultation to discuss whether you have a case and what your next steps will be. There is no obligation for you to continue working with us in the future. If, however, you do choose to do so, we will offer our full focus and compassionate, skillful handling of your wrongful death case.

Utah state legislature defines wrongful death as a death caused by the “wrongful act or neglect” of another person or corporation. Representatives of the deceased can bring a wrongful death suit against the person responsible, as can their legal guardian or the guardian of their children, such as a spouse or godparent. Some examples of wrongful death cases may include:

• A car accident in which the driver is negligent or reckless
• Medical malpractice
• An accident at work
• Defective products
• An aviation accident
• Death as the result of a crime.

Sometimes, when a criminal case — such as a case for manslaughter or murder — is dismissed or the defendant is found not guilty, the beneficiaries of the deceased will file a civil case to receive just compensation.

What Can Our Wrongful Death Lawyers in Salt Lake City, UT, Do for You?

Building a wrongful death case in Salt Lake City, UT, can be stressful and time-consuming because the law is complex. That is where we come in. We will advocate for you to get the justice you deserve by gathering evidence and preparing a compelling case.

Identify the Responsible Party

We will first work to identify the parties responsible for the wrongful death. In cases such as hit-and-run car accidents, this can mean interviewing witnesses and hiring private investigators to track down the responsible driver. In other cases, it may mean discussing the accident with you to identify the person that is responsible. From there, we can begin to build a case as to how their negligence or wrongful act caused the death of your loved one.

Help You Gather Evidence

In a wrongful death case, four elements need to be proven for the court to grant compensation to the plaintiff. These are:

• That the defendant was negligent
• That their negligence was a breach of duty to the plaintiff
• That this negligence caused the death in question
• The extent of the damages because of this negligence.

To prove these points, you need to gather evidence. This may mean talking to witnesses at the scene, as well as taking pictures of the scene. It also means saving medical invoices, funeral cost receipts, pay stubs from the deceased to show loss of income, and other documentation. Our attorneys will help you gather evidence and organize this documentation to form an airtight case.

In addition, we will speak with experts who can testify to relevant aspects of your case and gather affidavits or testimony from witnesses to the accident or the negligence.

Answer Any of Your Questions

This can be a fraught time and, as it is likely your first wrongful death case, you may have several questions throughout the process. Fortunately, Strong Law is here to help. You can reach our attorneys by email or phone whenever you have a question, and we will assist you. We even have a live chat to help assist you with any questions you might have after hours.

We tackle our cases with confidence and compassion. We know wrongful death cases, which means we know how to win them, and we also understand how sensitive they are for our clients. We bring this care and knowledge to the forefront in answering any of your questions.

Navigate Settlements or Trial to Get You Maximum Compensation

Not all wrongful death cases go to trial. In fact, in most cases, we will attempt to conclude with a satisfactory settlement. This will be less stressful for you, as well as less costly.

In a settlement, we will present the evidence through mediation and propose an amount of compensation that you are owed because of the wrongful death. The defendant’s legal team may then counteroffer, which you may accept or refuse. If the settlement counteroffer is unreasonable, we will likely advise you not to accept the offer, in which case negotiations can pick back up or the case can go to trial.

Though a trial takes more time and can be more stressful, it can also mean higher compensation. Damages awarded at trial tend to be higher than they would be in settlements. You can also try to pursue punitive damages in a trial. Punitive damages are additional damages that the court may award to punish the defendant for particularly egregious wrongful acts or negligence — such as drunk driving or wrongful death as the result of a crime. Punitive damages can also serve to deter others from doing the same in the future.

At Strong Law, we have a 98%-win rate, which gives us confidence in our ability to fight for the compensation you need and deserve.

Contact Strong Law today to get started with a free consultation: (206) 741-1053.

Why Choose Us as Your Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Attorneys?

When you are facing a wrongful death case, having the right advocate is crucial. You did not ask for this fight or this loss, and you have enough to handle within your personal life. Our attorneys can handle the rest while supporting you and fighting for your rights. So, why should you choose us as your wrongful death attorneys in Salt Lake City, UT? Here are just a few of the reasons.

• Our Results: It is hard to argue with our results. We have a 98%-win rate in the practice areas of personal injury and wrongful death. We have won as much as $1.5 million for a client whose husband died because of falling debris from a negligently maintained roof. Our experience in this area, and our experience with success, make us a legal team that you can count on for your wrongful death case.
• Reviews From Clients: You should never just take the attorneys’ word for it that they are good at what they do. That is why we let our clients speak for us. Out of 120 reviews on Google, we have an average of 4.9 stars. We also have a wealth of testimonials from clients which we keep on our website. For instance, our client Cheryl, had this to say after her wrongful death case: “[Attorney Jed Strong] pursued every possible resource and angle to ensure that we would receive policy limits despite intense resistance from the representatives of the insurance companies. We are deeply grateful to him for the funds we received and the lasting friendship that grew out of the entire ordeal.”
  Another client, Nick S., said: “Not only was I happy with the outcome, but the entire process as a whole. I would definitely recommend this firm to anyone.”
• Wealth of Experience. Our founding attorney, Jed Strong, founded Strong Law after years of working as an in-house attorney at GEICO, a major insurance company. In 2016, he left because he found that working for an insurance company made him feel dirty. Strong says, “Whenever I would get a ‘good’ result for the insurance company, it just meant that I assisted the company in preventing an injured person from recovering the compensation they were due. I quickly decided that the insurance companies had plenty of attorneys, and I could be a much greater help to society by putting my skills and talents to work for injured people, rather than insurance companies.” This background for a personal injury attorney gives him a unique perspective on how insurance companies work so that he knows how to navigate interactions with them and fight for your rights in your wrongful death case.

How Much Compensation Can You Be Awarded in a Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Case?

How much compensation you can be awarded will depend on your case, as well as whether you choose to settle or take the case to trial. When it comes to damages in wrongful death, there are economic damages as well as non-economic damages. Economic damages include:

• Medical expenses related to the fatal injury
• Funeral and burial costs
• Loss of income
• Loss of potential earnings
• Loss of the possibility of inheritance.

You will need to keep a record of all invoices and pay stubs to show the economic damages that you may have suffered. In addition, your case will likely be applicable for non-economic damages. These damages have to do with your emotional state or quality of life as the result of the wrongful death, including:

• Pain and suffering, which includes the pain and suffering of the deceased before their death
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium, society, or companionship
• Loss of enjoyment of life.

To show that you are eligible for these damages, you will need to speak with a mental health professional who can attest to your mental state as well as that the wrongful death is the cause of that mental state. Grief counseling can also show evidence of loss of consortium or companionship. In wrongful death cases, it tends to be likely that you will be awarded some non-economic damages, given the gravity of the loss.

Our team at Strong Law is ready to help you figure out what damages you are entitled to in the event of your wrongful death case.

Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation: (206) 741-1053.

What About Punitive Damages?

As we discussed, punitive damages are damages awarded by the court to punish defendants for egregiously malicious or negligent actions and to discourage repetition of these actions. Utah courts will award punitive damages in cases where it is proven that the defendant was either:

• Willful and malicious; or
• Intentionally fraudulent; or
• Manifested a “knowing and reckless indifference toward, and a disregard of, the rights of others,” including the deceased.

The punitive damages must be awarded to punish the defendant for harm done to the deceased and you, rather than the harm be done to other people. Punitive damages are mostly applicable in extreme cases but may apply to your situation. It is best to speak with our attorneys before going forward to determine if you qualify for punitive damages.