When a spouse, child,  parent or loved one, dies as a result of the negligence or  wrongful acts of another person or corporation, such cases fall under the area of law known as Wrongful Death Law. Wrongful Death  Laws  are usually  governed  by  the Statutes of each State, and such laws may differ from State to State. The Wrongful Death Act  in  Florida  identifies  those “Survivors” who  may  seek damages and  monetary compensation  for the death of a loved  one.  The Wrongful Death Act also identifies those specific compensable damages the Survivors are able to seek.

The Statute of Limitations, is the time within which  you must  file  a lawsuit  and/or any formal  claim notice as may be required by State Law.  If  your claim or  lawsuit is not brought properly before the expiration of  the applicable  Statute of  Limitation, any claim for damages  will  be barred.  Calculating the Statue of  Limitations, may  not always be clear. Many  times, particularly in Medical Malpractice cases,  it takes a skilled and experienced attorney who specializes in these cases, and only after review of  the medical records to be able to appropriately determine the applicable limitations date.   Under Florida  Law, the Statute of  Limitations  for Wrongful Death Claims  is  two (2) years  from  the date of death. This  requires that a lawsuit  for Wrongful Death,  from General or Statutory Negligence,  must be filed  prior to the end of  the  two year period  which  began to run  when  the  victim of  the negligence died.  In Medical Malpractice Claims, the “Formal Presuit Statutory Notice of Intent”,  must be served  upon  the Potential  Defendants  prior to the end of  the  two year  limitations period.

Which individuals  have the right to bring a Wrongful  Death  Claim for the death of a loved one, usually depends on the law of the jurisdiction  where the incident occurred.   By contacting  a knowledgeable  and  experienced  personal injury lawyer,   you  will  be able to determine whether or not you have a claim  for  the loss of a loved  one.  In Florida, once it is determined that a viable cause of  action exists  for Wrongful Death, it is necessary that a Probate Estate be opened, and someone be appointed as the Personal Representative of the Estate. It  is  the Personal Representative, who will  be  the  person  who brings  the cause of  action  on  behalf of the Estate, and on behalf of the individual  Survivors  of the decedent  who have claims. If  the decedent  has a Will,  it  will usually designate  the Personal Representative.  If the Personal Representative has not been designated, our Attorneys will assist  in  having Probate Attorneys open  the Estate in the Probate Court and have the Personal  Representative appointed , such as a Spouse, or  Parent, or other appropriate  person, depending on  the circumstances of the particular case.  The Law of the State where  the claim   will be  brought  will  determine  who will  be  the appropriate person to bring the claim.

The individuals  who may recover damages in a Claim  for the death of a loved one, are usually designated by the Laws of  the State where the incident occurs  and  where the claim for damages is brought.  Under Florida Law, the  Wrongful Death Act specifies  the potential beneficiaries  who may recover damages for Wrongful Death as:  the Decedent’s Estate, and  the Decedent’s  Survivors.  The Potential Survivors are defined in the Florida Wrongful Death  Act as:  the Decedent’s Spouse, Children, Parents; and, any Blood  Relatives and Adoptive Brothers and Sisters who are dependant on the Decedent  for support or services.  The defined Survivors  may not all be  eligible  as Survivors   to  recover damages under  Florida Law in all cases.  For example, when there is a  Surviving  Spouse of a Decedent, those Children  who are able to recover damages  must be under the age of  25.  Parents of a deceased Adult  Child (over the age of 25) may recover damages  if  the decedent had  no surviving Spouse or Children.  In Medical Malpractice Actions,  there are also limitations on the eligible Survivors.  For example, when the Decedent  is a  Parent, the Adult Children (over the age of 25) do not have a claim.  In addition, in  Medical Malpractice Actions, when  the Decedent  is  an  Adult  Child,  the Parents of  the Decedent  would  not have a claim.  Our Attorneys are trained and experienced  in determining the  rights of all the potential Survivor’s in a Wrongful Death Claim, and  will  fully protect  the  rights of all eligible family members of  the Decedent, while maximizing their  potential recoveries.

The Laws of the State where the incident occurs  will govern the particular damages that may be recoverable for a Wrongful Death Claim.  Under Florida Law, the Damages that the Estate and the eligible Survivors are allowed to recover are set forth in the Florida Statue titled  the Wrongful Death Act.   Though applicability depends on the type of Claim and the relationship of the Survivor, some of the Damages recoverable in a Wrongful Death Claim in Florida may potentially include: