Fatal Car Accidents
Motor Vehicle Collision Attorneys Seeking Justice for Boston Families
A fatal car accident is truly a tragedy for the victim’s loved ones. The last thing that the survivors want to deal with while they are grieving is pursuing legal action against the negligent driver. At Lowney Law, LLC, our car accident lawyers have over 15 years of experience fighting for Boston families who have lost loved ones in fatal crashes. We know the challenges of the situation that you are experiencing and can help you pursue the compensation that you deserve.
Seeking Compensation through a Wrongful Death Claim
A fatal car accident often gives rise to a wrongful death action. This is similar to a personal injury case, except that it is brought by the survivors of the victim rather than the victim. To prove that the negligent driver owes you compensation for your loss, the first step requires showing that the defendant owed the victim a duty of care. On the road, everyone owes those who could be affected by their conduct a duty of reasonable care and must operate their vehicles in a prudent manner. The family then must show that the defendant failed to meet that standard of care by failing to act as an ordinary person would have behaved in a similar situation. Typical examples of a breach include failing to observe traffic signals, speeding, and distracted driving.
After the defendant’s duty and breach have been proven, it is necessary to show that the breach was the direct cause of the victim’s loss of life, or that this tragic death would not have happened but for the defendant’s breach. There also must be quantifiable types of damages that arose from the defendant’s careless conduct. In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations for a wrongful death claim is three years, making it important to investigate your potential options as soon as possible.
Although no amount of money will ever compensate you for the loss of your loved one, it can help cover the expenses associated with the loss and help get your family back on its feet. There are often many costs associated with a fatal car accident, including burial expenses and sometimes the loss of the victim’s income for your family. Although it varies in each specific case, the compensation that your family may be able to seek could possibly include loss of income, loss of companionship, medical expenses, and other types of damages. In some instances, you may be able to seek punitive damages against the defendant if the driver’s conduct was malicious, willful, wanton, or reckless, or constituted gross negligence.
Under Massachusetts law, only certain relatives may seek damages for the loss of a loved one in a fatal car accident. In most cases, the surviving immediate family members of the victim are entitled to compensation, including a surviving spouse, child, parent, or sibling. Lowney Law, LLC understands how these laws work and can help you determine whether you are entitled to damages for your loved one’s death.
Consult a Boston Lawyer after a Fatal Car Accident
A fatal car accident creates a hole in your family that will never be replaced. Seeking justice against the careless or reckless driver who caused the death of your loved one can provide your family with the closure it needs and the compensation it deserves to recover from the loss. At Lowney Law, LLC, our wrongful death attorneys treat grieving Boston families with the care and compassion that they deserve during this difficult time. We can fight to hold a driver responsible for his or her negligence. Call 617-364-8000 or contact us online to set up a free initial consultation. We assist clients throughout all of Massachusetts, including Suffolk County, Boston, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, West Roxbury, and surrounding communities.
