If you believe that your loved one was involved in a wrongful death incident, you should consult a Guam personal injury attorney as soon as possible to get advice specific to your incident.
Be advised that it is not in the best interest of your legal case to discuss what happened with insurance adjustors prior to consulting an attorney. Insurance adjusters work on behalf of insurance companies, which have the goal of settling wrongful death cases for as little as possible.
The types of wrongful death incidents vary widely. Common types of incidents include moving vehicle accidents (i.e., auto, motorcycle, and truck), medical malpractice, construction accidents, and product failure (also called product liability) cases. The process for gathering the necessary documents and interviewing witnesses is similar for each type of incident. However, the actual information you gather will differ, depending upon the legal theories that are pursued in the case. Some of the legal theories advanced for each may be the same. For instance, negligence is a common legal theory in each of these types of incidences. Generally speaking, for a negligence action to succeed, the person who caused the harm (the defendant) must have owed a duty to the person who was harmed (the plaintiff). The defendant must have breached that duty owed to the plaintiff. The breaching action or inaction must have caused injury or death to the plaintiff. Other legal theories apply depending upon the type of incident and particular facts. A Guam personal injury attorney will advise you regarding which legal theories might apply to your situation.
While no amount of money can make you or your family whole from your loss, juries nonetheless attempt to provide compensation. A Guam personal injury attorney can discuss with you what type of damages you are likely to receive in your particular matter. Frequently awarded damages include amounts for the deceased’s medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, lost wages, and compensation for other non-tangible injuries such as loss of companionship. In extremely egregious cases, juries sometimes award punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded to the aggrieved party with the intention of punishing the wrongdoers.