The sudden, unexpected loss of a loved one is always devastating. While you struggle to overcome grief and adapt to life without a valued family member, you may be faced with expensive medical bills and funeral costs. If your loved one was a breadwinner, you may also be staring down a mortgage or childrearing costs you never thought you would have to face alone.
When you lose a loved one to another person’s negligence, you could be eligible to compensation through a wrongful death claim. However, you might not be sure you can afford the services of an experienced Virginia attorney.
Affording a Wrongful Death Attorney
If you believe hiring a lawyer is too expensive, you are not alone. Many people who consider filing wrongful death lawsuits usually want an attorney but are afraid it’ll cost too much.
However, KFFJ Law operates on what’s called a “contingency basis.” When you work with our firm, we will never ask you to pay the costs of representation up front. While you might be asked to help with some incidental legal fees, we will not bill you for our services until you get a fair settlement.
Once you win your case, we take a percentage-based contingency fee from your settlement.
If we can’t get you the settlement you deserve, you pay us nothing.
Possible Damages in a Wrongful Death Claim
Filing a wrongful death claim can be a difficult decision. Many people worry that others will see a lawsuit as a way to make money from a loved one’s death. However, the costs of an unexpected death in the family can add up very quickly. Few people budget to lose a spouse, child, sibling, or parent to an accident. You might be responsible for expenses such as:
- Medical costs prior to your loved one’s death
- End-of-life care
- Funeral services
- Burial costs
Often, the costs of losing a loved one go far beyond the expenses of medical care and a funeral. If the deceased person was part of your household, the loss of their income could move you toward financial ruin. A wrongful death lawsuit can help secure damages to repay funeral and burial expenses and replace the deceased person’s income.
How an Attorney Can Help You Get Justice
Unlike some other states, Virginia does not cap damages in wrongful death lawsuits. However, recovering the money you need to begin reassembling your life can be very difficult without legal assistance.
If you lost a loved one in a car accident, for instance, you might think the at-fault motorist’s insurance will cover your losses. However, you may not be able to cover the totality of your damages through an insurance settlement. Even if the insurance carrier is willing to entertain your claim, they may be reluctant to provide fair compensation, hoping some combination of grief and financial stress will make you cave to a bad-faith offer.
A Virginia wrongful death attorney can help you stand up to an unfair insurance company, a reckless motorist, or a negligent business. We will investigate the circumstances of your loved one’s death, collecting the evidence needed to prove the other party’s fault. We will also conduct an overview of your financial losses—past, present, and future—to calculate a fair claim for damages.
If the insurance company, individual, or business is not willing to negotiate a fair settlement, we can and will take them to court.
Contact Us Today
When you work with KFFJ Law, we take your loss as our responsibility, and our hardworking staff of legal professionals will do everything in their power to ensure you get the financial recovery you need to begin putting your life back together.
You do not need to let money pose a barrier to justice. Send us a message online to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation today.
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