Wrongful Death in Charleston

Wrongful deaths can occur any day, in any place. A wrongful death is a claim against a person/company who can be held liable for a loved one's death. The claim is brought in civil action by a deceased individual's relatives.

Some wrongful death cases garner more attention, and others do not get the attention they deserve. One search online and you can discover account after account of wrongful deaths: from the family who received $7 million after their 54 year old family member died after surgery complications to accounts of babies dying, drownings occurring to other accounts that are downright bizarre: the man who died after hot ash was dumped on him, the three year old who died after the boat he was in hit a whale to the woman who was killed by a falling branch and whose family filed suit.

One recently publicized wrongful death was that of superstar Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, received involuntary manslaughter charges for his treatment of the star and entertainment giant, Anschutz Entertainment Group received blame for pushing Jackson to "deliver a comeback tour he was in no shape to take on." As the Jackson family attested, "Forces much larger than Dr. Murray were involved in this tragedy."

While Jackson nightly took propofol, a surgical anesthetic for his insomnia, via the administration of Murray, his family testified that this was all due to the stress and pressure of having to perform when he wasn't in the physical state to do so.

Common wrongful death cases include the following:

• Truck accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Car accidents
• Bicycle accidents/pedestrian accidents
• Defective products
• Motorcycle accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Medication errors

In order for a company or person to be held liable for a wrongful death, it must be shown that: the defendant had a duty of care, that the defendant breached the duty of care by failing to act reasonably, and that the breach of duty caused the injuries that resulted in the death of the individual. If your loved one has passed away as a result of a person's or company's negligence, you can file a lawsuit. Get a personal injury attorney's help today!