When you’re injured in an accident, you could be facing hefty medical bills, and even have to miss out on work which will result in lost wages. But what happens when your loved ones are injured through no fault of their own? What are their rights? And what recourse do you have in helping them with the problem?
In today’s world, it can be hard to sift through the legal jargon that accompanies any case that you might find yourself involved in. And this is why hiring an attorney is going to be your best strategy when you feel as though you have nowhere else to turn.
If your loved ones have been injured in an accident and you believe that you can prove the negligence of an at-fault party, this is when you should consider hiring a lawyer. Additionally, you should also exercise caution when selecting your attorney. However, personal injury attorneys can help you in a variety of ways.
But what type of scenario calls for the expertise of an attorney? The following will detail 3 scenarios that an attorney can help with.
1. Wrongful Death
Regardless of what happens in life, coping with an untimely death is an experience that can cause extreme sadness and grief. And it can also result in depression which may cause your personal and work-life to suffer significantly.
Wrongful death occurs when a person loses their life due to some form of negligence that could have been easily avoided. And in order to prove this type of case, a personal injury attorney should be contacted immediately.
A wrongful death lawsuit can be filed to receive compensation for many things. And even though the loss of a loved one at the hands of negligence is a horrible experience, the following factors may also cause you additional complications but are usually eligible for compensation:
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Punitive damage
- Loss of companionship
- Medical bills
- Funeral costs
It’s also good to remember that in the event of wrongful death, you should obtain as much documentation of the incident. This will give your lawyer a fighting chance at handling your claim.
2. Medication Errors
Believe it or not, medication errors happen quite frequently in hospitals and medical facilities across the United States. In fact, this scenario is also quite common in nursing homes, mostly at facilities that lack the necessary resources to care for their elderly residents.
The simple fact is, that medical staff employed at nursing homes or at any medical facility can easily kill or harm a patient if they’re not being careful when administering medication. And this is one scenario where you should definitely seek out legal counsel.
Nobody wants to get a phone call from medical staff explaining that their loved one was given an improper dose of medication and subsequently died or was seriously injured as a result. But in the event that this happens to one of your loved ones, you should contact an attorney immediately.
3. Abuse And Neglect
Perhaps one of the worst scenarios that you can be confronted with is a case of abuse or neglect at the hands of medical staff or a person of authority. And these cases can sometimes be difficult to prove. This is why if you do suspect that your loved one is being treated poorly or neglected, you should consider hiring an attorney immediately.
For example, if your loved one lives in a nursing home and on your last trip you suspected something was amiss, you may have a case of neglect or poor treatment on your hands. Perhaps they were unresponsive due to overmedication. Or maybe they had visible injuries such as bruises, cuts, welts, or bedsores. Regardless of the signs, if you spot any of these you should report the incident immediately to the proper authorities (typically the nursing home ombudsman, management staff, or local police) and then contact an attorney.
Conclusion
As you can see, having an attorney at your side can offer you both peace of mind and a way through some of the most traumatic and hopeless experiences of your life. But regardless of what scenario listed above befalls you or a loved one, acting quickly and contacting an attorney immediately is going to be the best strategy.
