Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Have you lost a loved one because someone else engaged in negligent behavior? At Shulman & Hill, our lawyers wish to extend our condolences to you and yours. As attorneys with over 200 years of combined experience, we’ve handled many wrongful death claims.
We wish we could go back in time and undo the circumstances that resulted in the passing of the person you loved, but since we can’t, why not let us focus on advocating for you as your personal injury lawyer in Islip instead? New York, We Got You.
Founded in 2013, our law firm is home to attorneys who’ve recovered more than $1 billion on behalf of over 26,000 clients. As your wrongful death lawyer in Islip, we will handle your case with the care, precision, and dedication that you deserve.
How New York Wrongful Death Law Works in Real Life
In the state of New York, wrongful death cases can be opened when someone passes away due to another person’s negligence or carelessness. A personal representative for the deceased party’s estate handles these cases, but the compensation is for surviving family members.
However, what many families don’t initially realize is that wrongful death claims aren’t only about the death itself. They also focus on compensating families for the financial and emotional impact that losing their loved one has introduced into their lives.
Here’s what compensation usually reflects in these cases:
- Lost income
- Loss of parental guidance
- Financial support the deceased would’ve provided over time
Wrongful death cases can arise from a wide array of circumstances, including car crashes, truck accidents, motorcycle collisions, construction-related incidents, unsafe property conditions, and medical negligence.
In the local area, wrongful death cases tend to involve insurance companies and corporations that operate with their interests in mind, not yours. With an Islip wrongful death attorney by your side, you’ll have someone advocating for your rights and standing up for you against insurers.
Why Wrongful Death Cases Are More Complicated Than Others
On the surface, a wrongful death case can look obvious, straightforward, and conclusive. At the same time, you’re only seeing what’s on the surface. After the investigation begins, your lawyer will likely find that the legal and factual matters of your case are far more complicated.
In some cases, multiple parties are involved, and more than one party is liable for the deadly incident. Unfortunately, insurance companies are known for disputing liability in wrongful death cases, especially when the financial stakes are high.
Insurers often argue that the deceased person was either partially at fault for the fatal incident or that the accident was unavoidable, not preventable. Your wrongful death lawyer in Islip will collect evidence, identify all responsible parties, and build a clear narrative of what happened.
What Compensation Is Available in a Wrongful Death Case?
Financial recovery for wrongful deaths in New York is intended to compensate family members for the losses they have experienced as a result of their loved one’s passing. Even though no amount of legal action can replace the one you lost, the law recognizes your need for help.
State laws are designed to acknowledge that your family shouldn’t have to carry the financial consequences all alone. As such, this is the type of compensation that is usually available in a wrongful death case:
- The loss of financial support
- The costs of the funeral
- Additional burial expenses
- Medical costs related to your loved one’s injury or illness
- The value of services the deceased provided
In certain cases, you can also file a separate claim for any amount of conscious pain and suffering that your loved one experienced prior to passing away. Your Islip wrongful death attorney will work with financial and economic professionals to calculate these losses.
How Liability Is Proven in Wrongful Death Cases
Proving who was responsible for your loved one’s death is a priority for wrongful death lawyers in Islip. It’s not always obvious who’s at fault, which is why this process often requires an attorney who knows how to thoroughly and carefully investigate your case.
These are pieces of evidence that attorneys usually look at when proving liability in wrongful death cases:
- Accident reports
- Medical records
- Witness statements
- Surveillance footage
- Professional analysis
- Violations of safety rules
- Lack of adherence to regulations
Ultimately, the legal standard in wrongful death cases is based on the presence of negligence. In other words, your Islip wrongful death attorneys will work on showing that someone else failed to act with reasonable care and that failure directly caused your loved one’s death.
Call Shulman & Hill ASAP for Legal Advice From Our Wrongful Death Law Firm in Islip
Did you lose a loved one unexpectedly as a result of another party’s negligence? Shulman & Hill is the one to call when you need someone who can investigate the circumstances of their death, identify all responsible parties, and calculate the full value of your family’s losses.
From there, you can count on us to advocate for your rights, represent you as your Islip wrongful death attorneys, and pursue justice on your behalf. At Shulman & Hill, we spend our time helping New Yorkers seek justice in wrongful death cases because we care.
Wrongful death cases not only require experienced legal skills and careful attention to detail, but they also benefit from lawyers who recognize what families are going through on a human level. Count on us to build a strong case that reflects the true value of what your family has lost.