Losing a loved one is never an easy situation. This is an emotional time that involves sadness, anger, grief, and dealing with the loss of a loved one in a number of other ways.
After an untimely death, life must go on even though it may seem impossible. But when you’re dealing with a wrongful death, one of the first things you should do is seek legal counseling.
For example, there are an estimated 170,000 unintentional injury deaths each year as reported by the CDC. However, some reports suggest that medical errors account for over 250,000 deaths each year.
Regardless how the tragedy occured, you and the family of the victim have a right to fair compensation after a wrongful death. And there are several steps that you should take thereafter. Additionally, there are many things you shouldn’t do as well.
Here, we’ll explore what you should never do after a wrongful death.
Talking with Insurance Companies
It should probably go without saying that insurance companies are businesses. As such, these businesses are in the “business” of making money.
After a wrongful death, an insurance company may attempt to contact you. Often this is done as a means to collect information to avoid payment on a claim. And anything you say to an agent or an adjustor can be used against you in court. As unscrupulous as this sounds, it actually happens quite frequently.
As a rule of thumb, let your wrongful death attorney handle all communications with any interested party that could potentially try to weasel out of paying a claim. This is your best strategy for taking your wrongful death case to court and receiving full and fair compensation.
Making Public Statements
In any community when a tragedy strikes, we often have the news media present to report on the story. And if the story of your loved one’s death is high-profile or controversial enough, the news media may hound you or other family members for a statement. And this is never a good idea.
Any public statement that you or a family member might make could potentially be used against you or your family in a wrongful death settlement case. And this is why you should avoid making a statement at all costs, even if being continuously hounded by the media or local reporters.
For example, in most high profile cases, you’ll see that the family is always represented by an attorney as a spokesperson. And this is because a well-trained attorney knows what to say and what information to keep guarded for your best interests.
Threatening Other Interested Parties
A death in the family is an extremely volatile time when it comes to emotions and anxiety. And often you may find that it’s difficult to keep your emotions in check when dealing with the situation as a whole.
Unfortunately, sometimes anger can get the better of us during tense and stressful situations. And you may end up saying something that you’ll not only regret, but you may say something that could potentially hurt your case.
For example, it’s not uncommon for family members to lash out at hospital staff, insurance companies, or former co-workers and management staff of the deceased. But any aggression towards an interested party can ultimately hurt your chances for receiving full and fair compensation in a wrongful death case.
As mentioned, leave any communications up to your attorney. And keep your emotions in check during the process in order for your attorney to do his or her job properly.
Nobody wants to deal with tragedy, let alone to lose a loved one in an untimely manner due to negligence. But moving forward can be made easier through the legal system. And keeping your wits about you during these difficult times is the best strategy toward a full recovery after losing a loved one.
