Wrongful death cases involve all types of fatal accidents from car and motorcycle accidents to complicated medical malpractice or product liability cases. Individuals, companies, and governmental agencies can be legally at fault for acting negligently. These are the seven most common types of wrongful death cases we see at Parker Law Firm.
1. Automobile Accidents
Car accidents are among the leading causes of death in America and the most common causes of wrongful death lawsuits. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the fatality rate on Texas roads in 2020 (the most recent year for which data is available) was 1.5 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
2. Truck Accidents
While they are still considered automobile accidents, semi-truck accidents occupy a separate category because of a few differences. The main one being the massive size of 18-wheelers. The most common causes of semi-truck accidents are also different. These types of accidents are usually caused by driving with an oversized load or due to mechanical issues with the truck or driver error.
3. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
When a vehicle fails to yield to a pedestrian, is driving recklessly, or simply does not see an individual walking in a crosswalk, fatalities can occur. Pedestrians have no protection when a car hits them and can suffer grievous injuries as a result. These risks are multiplied when the pedestrian is a senior or a child, who typically do not have as quick reaction time. Cyclists face many of the same dangers as pedestrians because of inattentive drivers and poorly marked bike lanes.
4. Medical Malpractice
While most health care professionals are highly skilled, mistakes happen. In cases of medical malpractice, the most common wrongful death causes are either misdiagnosis of a condition or failure to diagnose a condition. Other common medical malpractice cases involve errors during surgery and when treating conditions. When there is the death of a patient, the family may seek a wrongful death lawsuit based on facts that indicate a possible prescription error, misdiagnosis, surgical injury, misdiagnosis, or delayed diagnosis caused the death.
5. Products Liability
If a person’s death is caused by a defective product, the manufacturer should be held liable. These cases can be tricky because proving liability is difficult. Some of the most common examples of this type of wrongful death case includes defective pharmaceutical products, toxic foods, unsafe products designed for children and defective automobiles.
6. Work Related Accidents
Any death that occurs in the workplace because of company negligence can be the basis of a wrongful death lawsuit. These commonly include illness due to unsafe work environments, fires or explosions, faulty equipment, or improper training and machine related incidents. In some instances, a wrongful death may occur outside of the workplace when the conditions or equipment at the workplace were the cause of the employee’s death.
7. Drowning or Boating Accidents
A drowning accident may occur in a backyard, public pool, or shared beach area. If a pool wasn’t properly secured, the owner may be at fault for any drowning that occurs. A boat operator who causes an accident or fails to provide safety devices could be held liable in a wrongful death claim.
If you’ve suffered the loss of a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, Parker Law Firm’s experienced personal injury lawyers are standing by to help you. Contact us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to review your options.
