×

New Haven Wrongful Death Lawyer

If you are looking for a New Haven, CT wrongful death attorney, contact the law partners at Buckley Wynne & Parese. We have knowledge and experience winning wrongful death cases in New Haven.

Home  /  New Haven Wrongful Death Lawyer

The unexpected death of a family member is a tragic experience, and when a death results from an act of negligence, the family of the victim will rightly have many questions about their legal options. If your loved one recently died due to the actions of another party, you need to consult a New Haven wrongful death lawyer at Buckley Wynne Parese as quickly as possible to discuss your legal options.

Compassionate Wrongful Death Counsel in New Haven, CT

The law firm of Buckley Wynne Parese has been representing injured clients in the New Haven area for more than 140 years. While New Haven is known as one of the most affluent and prestigious college towns in the United States, it is possible for fatal accidents to happen in many ways. A wrongful death case is a type of personal injury case filed by the surviving family of a victim when they would have had grounds to file a personal injury case if they had survived.

It is possible for wrongful deaths to happen in various ways. Some of the most commonly cited causes include:

  • Motor vehicle crashes. There were 368 fatalities from car accidents throughout Connecticut in 2022. Some of the top contributing factors to these accidents include distraction, speeding, and intoxicated driving.
  • Workplace accidents. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a total of 5,283 fatal workplace accidents throughout the United States in 2023. Falls, toxic exposure, electrocution, vehicle accidents, and injuries caused by machinery are just a few of the most common causes of fatal workplace accidents each year.
  • Medical malpractice. A recent Johns Hopkins University study concluded that medical malpractice causes about 250,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the third leading cause of accidental deaths in the country. Medical malpractice occurs whenever a medical professional’s negligence causes harm to their patient.
  • Acts of violence. It is possible for a violent crime to have fatal results, in which case the perpetrator can not only face criminal prosecution and severe penalties but also civil liability for the victim’s wrongful death.

Regardless of how your family member died, if another party is responsible for their death, you likely have grounds to file a wrongful death suit. This type of personal injury case can be difficult to win without an experienced attorney’s help. Trust the team at Buckley Wynne Parese to build a comprehensive civil case for you aimed at securing maximum compensation for you and your family’s damages.

Proving Liability for a Wrongful Death in New Haven

Success with a wrongful death case in Connecticut follows the same fundamental principles as success with any other type of personal injury case. The plaintiff must identify the defendant who caused the wrongful death, prove how they caused it, and then show the full extent of the resulting damages. They must also establish causation between claimed damages and the defendant’s actions, proving they did not result from any other cause.

Even if you believe that you know how and why your loved one’s death happened, the formal legal process of establishing liability is likely to be more challenging than you expect. You need an experienced New Haven wrongful death lawyer to gather the evidence that will form the foundation of your civil case. A good attorney can potentially secure evidence that the average person cannot be able to obtain on their own.

Recovering Compensation With a Wrongful Death Case in New Haven

In Connecticut, only the executor or personal representative of the deceased’s estate may file a wrongful death suit on behalf of the surviving family and beneficiaries of the victim. If the victim died without an estate plan, the court may name a personal representative to act as plaintiff in the wrongful death suit, usually the surviving spouse, child, parent, or other close relative of the victim.

Connecticut law requires that a wrongful death suit be brought on behalf of the deceased, not on behalf of the deceased’s family. Any compensation won from a successful wrongful death suit will then be distributed to the deceased’s beneficiaries according to their estate plan or according to the state’s laws for intestate succession if they did not have an estate plan.

It’s possible to recover compensation from a successful wrongful death suit, including repayment of funeral and burial expenses, lost financial support the victim can no longer provide, medical expenses incurred by the deceased during final medical treatment, compensation for the pain and suffering the victim experienced before their death, and loss of consortium. The surviving spouse can join their loss of consortium claim to the wrongful death suit.

In addition to these damages, Connecticut also has a law that allows for additional compensation to be awarded based on the manner in which the wrongful death occurred. For example, if the victim died because of a vehicle accident the defendant caused through egregious negligence or reckless disregard for the safety of others, the defendant could be held liable for double or even triple damages.

What to Expect From Your New Haven Wrongful Death Lawyer

It is vital to start building your wrongful death case as quickly as possible. Dealing with the personal aftermath of your family member’s unexpected death will be challenging enough, and attempting to build a solid legal case in this situation without assistance would make an already difficult situation worse.

Hiring an experienced New Haven wrongful death lawyer at Buckley Wynne Parese to represent you will significantly improve your chances of success with your wrongful death suit. Our firm has extensive experience handling these cases and will do everything we can to maximize your compensation.

We accept these cases on contingency, so there will not be any upfront or ongoing fees for our legal representation. Instead, we will charge a percentage of your case award or settlement only if and when we succeed with your case. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with an experienced New Haven wrongful death lawyer and learn more about how we can help your family in this difficult time.

New Haven Practice Areas

Case Results

Testimonials

Map

Serving All of Connecticut

Free Evaluation 24/7

We understand the stress of dealing with an injury. Our team is here to provide compassionate support and effective legal representation, statewide.

Request Your Confidential & Free Case Review

Fields Marked With An ”*” Are Required

Submission of this form indicates your acceptance of the terms described in our disclaimer. Please review the full disclaimer for more information.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.