Wrongful Death

No amount of money can ever take the pain and grief experienced by the loss of loved one. However, as Fairfield Wrongful Death Lawyers, we can treat you and your family with the respect and compassion you deserve.

Can a lawsuit be filed for the death of your loved one? To answer that question, ask yourself if your loved one could have brought a suit had he or she survived. If the answer is yes, then a suit can be filed. But who is the person that can bring the suit? The suit must be brought by the Estate of your loved one. If there was a will, that document would specify who is the Executor of the Estate. That person would be the one with the authority to file a suit. If there is no will, the Probate Court would open an estate and name a person to serve as the Administrator of the Estate. The Administrator could be a family member or an independent person.

At Robinson Mahoney we know it is important to promptly identify the time frame that any lawsuit must be filed by your Fairfield County Wrongful Death Lawyers. Connecticut has a wrongful death statute that requires that the suit be filed within two years of the date of death. However, the event which causes the death may not be readily apparent. Or the death may not occur immediately. Connecticut allows for extra time to bring the suit until no more than five years from the act that was the cause of death in those circumstances.

Connecticut has a wrongful death statute which is different from that which is found in other states. In Connecticut, the recovery is not for the loss to the family. At Robinson Mahoney, we know that the recovery is for the loss to the deceased. The Estate can recover for the deceased’s pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of his or her life’s activities, any income that would have been earned if the deceased had lived to a full life expectancy, fear of the impending death, medical and hospital expenses, and funeral expenses. If the death was caused by the reckless behavior of the defendant, your Fairfield Wrongful Death Lawyers may also be able to recovery punitive damages which are designed to punish the defendant.

A wrongful death lawsuit may arise in several ways such as a car accident, a fall, or medical malpractice. We understand as Fairfield County Wrongful Death Lawyers, that the death may arise under unusual circumstances.

We had one such case for a young man named Matt. Matt was at a bar with some friends. The driver of the car Matt was riding in became intoxicated. At the bar that night was an off-duty police officer who knew that Matt, his friends, and the driver were intoxicated. Instead of stopping the driver from leaving that night, the officer gave the driver a “get out of jail card” that he could show an officer who might pull them over. The young men left and shortly thereafter there was a one car accident leaving one man an amputee and the other three occupants, including Matt, dead.

We used a variety of witnesses to maximize the recovery for Matt including the coroner who testified as to how he died and an economist who testified as to his lost earnings. More importantly, Matt’s friends and families testified as to what a tremendously valuable life Matt had lost. The jury returned a verdict of $6.2 million dollars, finding the officer responsible for Matt’s death.

At Robinson Mahoney, we treat you and your family with compassion as we pursue justice for your loved one. Call us to schedule an appointment.