Get justice with your case from the best wrongful death law firm in Lodi, New Jersey.

Did Your Loved One Suffer a Wrongful Death?

If someone else’s actions led to the loss of a person you care about, you may be able to recover much-needed compensation. We are here to help.

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Your Lodi, NJ, Wrongful Death Lawyers

Losing a loved one due to the negligence of another is one of the most painful experiences a family can go through. At Peter N. Davis & Associates, we understand the emotional and financial toll this can take on you and your family. Our compassionate wrongful death lawyers in Lodi, NJ, are here to help you seek justice and compensation for your loss.

Wrongful death claims can arise from various incidents such as car accidents, unsafe property conditions, and workplace accidents. Our dedicated attorneys will work tirelessly to investigate the circumstances of your loved one’s death, gather evidence, and build a strong case on your behalf. We will fight for your rights and help you obtain the compensation you deserve for the financial and emotional losses you have suffered.

We understand the pain and trauma of losing a family member and are here to provide you with the empathetic and effective representation you need. We will help you and your family get the justice you deserve, so you can focus on healing and moving forward.

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It Only Takes a Call

Because time is of the essence in these cases, we make it easy to get started with our office. Just call or fill out our online form from your own home for a free case review and legal direction.

You Have the Right to Compensation

We are dedicated to protecting the legal rights of our New Jersey neighbors who have suffered by no fault of their own. You deserve justice for this loss, and we can help you obtain it.

Don’t Pay If We Don’t Win

Expenses are stressful enough to manage after a devastating loss. That’s why we offer free consultations and don’t charge any fees unless we win your case. Don’t let your financial situation stop you from getting legal assistance.

We Understand How Hard This Is

Money cannot bring back a loved one nor erase the pain of a life lost. What a wrongful death settlement can provide is financial security for surviving family members and, hopefully, the message for others to act more safely and prevent the same kind of accident in the future.

Wrongful death cases seek two types of damages: compensatory and punitive. A family deprived of a primary earner in the household faces an uncertain financial future, so compensatory damages are awarded to ease their financial concerns.

A legal judgment for punitive damages, however, specifically addresses the extremely negligent or malicious behavior shown by the party at fault.

When you come to us regarding a death caused by someone else’s actions, our caring and attentive attorneys work with you every step of the way to pursue justice. We gather all the evidence needed to ensure that a jury understands the extent to which your life has been upended by your loved one’s wrongful death.

We want you to find closure with the case’s resolution, and we are mindful of the toll the entire experience takes on you and your family. That’s why we’re here to help.

Do You Have a Case?

You may be wondering whether you can file a civil wrongful death suit. The truth is that a cost-free evaluation of your legal circumstances is the best way to know for sure. There is no commitment to learn more about what your case is worth and what your options are. In the meantime, explore the tabs below to learn about a few of the factors involved in a New Jersey wrongful death claim.

A wrongful death is when a person’s death is the fault of another person or entity. This differs from any criminal charge like murder in that wrongful death is an issue for civil court rather than criminal court. Wrongful death claims can cover a wide variety of scenarios from fatal auto accidents to medical malpractice and even cases of faulty products.

It’s important to note that even if the defendant in your suit is under criminal investigation related to the death, you can still file a wrongful death suit. Your wrongful death case is completely independent of any criminal case, so even if the defendant is found not guilty in their criminal case, you could still win damages from them in your wrongful death case.

In most cases, only immediate family members can file a wrongful death claim. The purpose of these claims is to compensate surviving family members for funeral costs and loss of income due to their loved one’s death.

There are other factors involved as well such as emotional pain and suffering and loss of companionship. These deserve to be accounted for in the value of your claim as well.

Because of this, romantic partners may also make claims. Other family members can also be compensated if they can demonstrate a close enough relationship. When it comes to financial benefits, though, anyone who suffers financially due to the victim’s death may be entitled to damages.

Unlike criminal offenses involving a death, wrongful death civil suits have a statute of limitations. That means there’s a limited time you can file before it’s too late and the guilty party can no longer be held accountable.

In the state of New Jersey, the statute of limitations is two years from the victim’s death. If you want to avoid having your suit barred from court, make sure you file as soon as possible to ensure compliance with the limited time. An experienced Lodi wrongful death lawyer will help you through the process as you deal with the stress and hardship of healing from the loss.

For Representation You Can Count On,
Peter N. Davis and Associates Has Your Back

If you or your family are suffering from a wrongful death, make sure you get the compensation you deserve with the help of a wrongful death lawyer who knows New Jersey.

Our legal team has practiced personal injury and wrongful death litigation in New Jersey since 1989. We have helped thousands of clients through the pain and uncertainty of a wrongful death case, and we are committed to getting the best outcome for each client.

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Calculating a Wrongful Death Settlement

It is impossible to put a price on your relationship with the deceased. For this reason, we work to learn more about your loved one by talking with those closest to you. Your friends, coworkers, and family members help us tell the story of your relationship. Then the jury will factor emotional loss into their calculation of your compensatory damages.

The jury considers many factors when determining the amount of financial damages. The age of the deceased, the resulting loss of income due to his or her death, the loss of parental counsel and guidance, the loss of support or services, the costs for a funeral, and the loss of inheritance all come under scrutiny during deliberations.

In addition to compensatory damages, punitive damages (also called exemplary damages) may be awarded if the party at fault acted in a particularly reckless or malevolent manner. Punitive damages are not frequently awarded and generally are not too large in amount. To qualify for punitive damages in New Jersey, there must be evidence that the party at fault acted with malice and/or in “wanton and willful disregard” for the rights of others.

To help the jury with those calculations, our legal team brings in expert witnesses who can estimate dollar amounts to apply to these circumstances. In addition to this, economists, therapists, medical providers, and other experts show the jury the deep nature of your loss and the financial settlement necessary for you to retain your quality of life.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Wrongful Death Claim?

When a loved one dies due to someone else’s negligence, it’s natural to seek justice through a wrongful death claim. Determining liability can be a complex process that involves identifying all parties who may be responsible for the accident.

For instance, when a car accident leads to a fatality, the other driver can be held accountable if they were at fault for the collision. If the accident occurred while the driver was completing job-related duties, their employer could also be held liable.

On the other hand, if the accident was caused by dangerous road conditions, the designer of the roadway could be held responsible along with the government agencies that failed to provide sufficient warning about the hazardous conditions.

Alcohol is often a contributing factor in fatal accidents, and it can provide even more avenues for wrongful death claims. For example, not only can an impaired driver be held responsible for their actions, but the person who provided them with alcohol and even the establishment where the driver consumed alcohol could be held liable for failing to monitor the customer’s level of intoxication.

Ultimately, determining liability in a wrongful death claim requires a legal expert’s thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident. It is crucial to identify all parties who may have played a role in the accident to ensure that justice is served and that the surviving family members receive the compensation they need.

What Comes Next?

It all begins when you schedule your free case review. During this review, we will go over the details of your case and explore what legal options you may have. If you have a case, we can get the process underway immediately.

Once you choose our legal team at Peter N. Davis & Associates to represent you, we get to work right away gathering the documentation and testimony necessary to build a comprehensive case on your behalf.

Having a lawyer on your side during this step is crucial because they will be familiar enough with the law to know exactly what evidence is needed to defend your case.

We are well aware that the last thing you want to deal with in such a tumultuous time is arguing over your settlement with the insurance company. Insurance adjusters often employ tactics meant to underpay your claim, but we are familiar with these methods and know how to fight back until you’re paid what you’re due.

Finally, once a fair offer is accepted by all parties, we will stay by your side to make sure you receive the settlement check as agreed upon.

The decision of whether to accept or decline an offer will always be yours.

Wrongful Death FAQs

It is highly recommended that you hire an injury attorney who has experience with wrongful death cases to represent you in a lawsuit. Wrongful death claims in New Jersey can be complex, and having a skilled attorney on your side can greatly increase your chances of getting the outcome you need.

Negligence refers to a failure to take reasonable care to prevent harm to others. In a wrongful death case, negligence may be established if it can be shown that the defendant had a duty of care to the deceased, they breached that duty, and that breach caused the death.

Examples of negligence in a wrongful death case can include drunk driving, medical malpractice, or failure to maintain safe premises. Our attorneys at Peter N. Davis & Associates are well-versed in New Jersey negligence laws and can help you build a strong case.

Many wrongful death cases are settled outside of court through negotiations with insurance companies or through alternative dispute resolution methods.

That being said, if a fair settlement cannot be reached, your case may go to court. Our attorneys at Peter N. Davis & Associates have extensive experience in both settlement negotiations and court litigation, and we will work to achieve the best outcome for you and your family.

At Peter N. Davis & Associates, we work on a contingency fee basis for wrongful death cases. This means that we do not charge any upfront fees, and we only receive payment if we win your case. This is in addition to our complementary case evaluations.

Our fee is typically a percentage of the total settlement or verdict amount, and we will discuss the details of our fee structure with you during your free consultation.

No! Insurance companies often make lowball settlement offers that do not fully compensate you for your losses. An attorney can review the offer and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your damages.

At Peter N. Davis & Associates, we have a track record of successfully negotiating fair settlements for our clients in wrongful death cases.