CONNECTICUTWrongful Death Lawyers

Family and friends can offer much-needed comfort and support after a loved one’s untimely death. While that support is necessary, it is often not enough to help you get back on stable financial ground, and it does not provide justice. This is where the Tehrani Law Group comes in. Our team of Hartford Connecticut wrongful death lawyers is prepared to fight to get you the compensation you deserve and that you need to face the future with hope.

We will put all our experience, legal knowledge, and resources to work for you. Our goal is to support you through a confusing, emotionally fraught time so you can see brighter days ahead. Your loved one deserves justice, and so do you. Count on us to work tirelessly to help you get it. 

What “Wrongful Death” Means

Victims file personal injury claims when they have been hurt because of someone else’s intentional act of violence or careless or reckless behavior. Through the personal injury suit, they seek damages to recover their financial losses and future needs incurred by their injuries, as well as acknowledgment of their pain and emotional suffering. When a victim is killed because of those actions, whether in the moment or by succumbing to the injuries later, they and their families still deserve compensation and justice. A way to pursue that justice is through a wrongful death claim. 

Laws governing wrongful death claims in Connecticut are specific and complicated, so it is best to navigate them with guidance from a wrongful death lawyer from Tehrani Law. For example, particular rules apply if your case is against a government agent or office, those representing non-profit organizations, or involves other unique characteristics. Our team has extensive experience helping surviving family members hold those responsible for causing their loved one’s death accountable for their actions. 

The emotional and financial damage incurred by the untimely, preventable death of a loved one cannot be underestimated. We understand this tragic reality and will handle your case with care, never forgetting or diminishing the extreme loss you have sustained. As we support you, our wrongful death attorneys will also fight aggressively to restore your future financial stability and get justice for your loved one. 

Wrongful death benefits typically go to the estate of the deceased and are distributed to surviving families. However, it is an executor who must file the claim. If the deceased has a will, it may name an executor. If there is no will or no designated executor, the court will appoint one.

Reasons for Wrongful Death Claims

Sadly, problems can arise in just about any situation and lead to an untimely death. Unexpected and unwanted “wrenches” can send plans dangerously off-kilter for any activity, whether it is an everyday event, like a commute to work, or a more noteworthy situation, a surgery, for example. Still, there are some more common causes of wrongful deaths.

Motor-Vehicle Crashes

The statistics from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository show 926 fatal motor-vehicle accidents over a recent three-year period. However, you should not make that determination on your own. Some situations present obvious causes for wrongful death. For example, 231 of those fatal accidents involved driving under the influence (DUI), making it likely the surviving family could prove their case. Other cases may be less obvious but still warrant a claim. Do not try to determine whether you have grounds for a case–you may make an assumption that could cost you the compensation you deserve. Instead, reach out to Tehrani Law, a wrongful death law firm. We are prepared to pursue complex cases, even a hit-and-run.

Medical Malpractice

Medical practitioners must follow strict protocols when providing care. These parties are responsible for making proper diagnoses, prescribing and providing appropriate treatment and interventions, and performing all medical procedures with the utmost care. If they fail to deliver on these responsibilities and their patient dies as a result, family members may have grounds to pursue a claim. 

An experienced Hartford Connecticut wrongful death lawyer will investigate the situation. If medical practitioners rushed to judgment, ignored standard practice, or contributed to the death through other negligence or recklessness, they must be held accountable. 

Premises Liability

When a guest to a property dies because of a dangerous condition on that property, the property owner may be culpable for damages. Property owners have a legal responsibility to their guests to keep the property safe from apparent hazards and warn visitors of known dangers. For example, business owners must keep their floors safe for passage. When floors are slick from a slip or a clean-up, they must be marked with warnings. Similarly, homeowners must warn houseguests of broken stairs or loose railings. If they own swimming pools, trampolines, or other attractive but high-risk features, those features must be properly secured. 

Landlords also bear responsibilities to their tenants. They must ensure elements of rental properties under their control, such as electrical wiring, common stairwells, and parking lots, are in safe working- order and/or have adequate security.

Defective or Malfunctioning Products

Defective products can lead to fatal burns, cause choking deaths, poison consumers, or otherwise incur deadly harm. Products may be poorly designed, lack safety features or thorough safety instructions, or reach the market with a defect. These hazards are not recognized until the consumer uses the product, but at that point, it is too late to avoid the devastating results.

Workplace Accidents

The Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) works to protect workers from workplace dangers through its extensive work-safety laws. If your loved one dies from a work accident, the event may have resulted from a lack of compliance with these regulations. Construction zones are notoriously dangerous. Workers must be equipped with safety gear, properly working power tools, and must undergo safety training. But even office buildings can pose hazards. Workers in older buildings may be exposed to asbestos, which can cause cancer. Broken elevators, poorly lit stairwells, and a variety of other hazards all have deadly potential.

No matter what type of preventable accident causes your loved one’s death, the Connecticut wrongful death lawyers from Tehrani Law are here to help. We want to “right” as much of the wrong as we possibly can. 

Obviously, if you are seeking to file a wrongful death claim, this time in your life is particularly fraught. You have lost a loved one unexpectedly and unnecessarily and are likely overwhelmed by grief, shock, and fears of your changed future. The sooner you partner with a skilled wrongful death attorney from Tehrani Law, the better. Not all wrongful death law firms operate the same way. Tehrani Law operates on a client-centered system. We care about your emotional and financial well-being and will work to make the claims process as efficient and transparent as possible, minimizing your stress.

Filing the Claim

Connecticut’s wrongful death law establishes a two-year deadline, or statute of limitations, for filing a claim. Prompt partnership with the skilled Connecticut wrongful death attorneys at Tehrani Laws ensures your claim will be filed on time. We will follow all legal protocols and provide all required documentation so you do not have to worry about legalities during such a trying time.

Proving Wrongful Death

Your loved one’s death alone is not enough to prove a wrongful death claim. To collect compensation, you must provide evidence showing:

• The at-fault party owed your loved one a legal responsibility, called a “duty of care,” to protect your loved one from harm. Drivers owe this duty to all others on the roads and must fulfill it by practicing safe driving behaviors and avoiding dangerous ones. Medical practitioners take an oath promising to “do no harm” to their patients and must fulfill their duty by providing the expected and reasonable standard of care.
• The at-fault party failed to fulfill their duty. Perhaps a driver drove drunk or hit your loved one while racing on a highway. Or a doctor may have ignored clear warning signs or made deadly mistakes while performing surgery.
• The at-fault party’s failure directly caused the circumstances leading to your loved one’s death.
• The surviving family experienced measurable losses on account of the death.

Experienced Connecticut wrongful death law firms, like Tehrani Law, know the kinds of evidence needed to prove a wrongful death claim and will explore every potential source of information. 

Our resources and connections to relevant experts also serve to strengthen the cases we present.

Valuing Your Losses

Once you accept a settlement, your case is closed. There is no going back for a redo. This is another reason it is so important to secure knowledgeable representation right away. Sometimes, representatives for the party who caused your loved one’s death jump right in with a “generous” offer to compensate you for your losses. In your vulnerable state, you accept, likely feeling temporarily relieved for the support. You later realize the offer did not cover your needs or fully acknowledge your suffering, but at that point, it is too late to demand what you truly deserve.

Other times, representatives may convince you that you do not have a case. After the emotional chaos has diminished, you realize they were wrong, but at that point, the statute of limitations may have passed, and though you should still consult with a lawyer to hear your options, the road to a successful outcome may be more difficult.

Our team of wrongful death lawyers will protect you from accepting too-low offers and from believing false narratives. We will assess the losses incurred by your loved one’s death and seek substantial compensation to recover them and adequately acknowledge your pain. Every situation is different, and your attorney will discuss compensation applicable to your specific case. That said, you may see compensation for:

• Lost income
• Related medical care and funeral expenses
• Loss of contribution to the household
• Loss of relationship, affection, and moral support

Negotiating Your Settlement

Your attorney will calculate and send a fair settlement demand to the at-fault party’s representatives. Typically, they respond with a counteroffer, an offer lower than your demand, and negotiations begin. Our Connecticut wrongful death law firm comprises experienced, strategic, and aggressive negotiators. We will not be intimidated by the other side and will answer whatever challenges they present. We will communicate with you regularly, keeping you updated on the negotiation process. 

Most times, cases are settled through negotiation. Sometimes, however, the other side just refuses to make fair offers or intentionally slows the process down. If that happens, we will discuss all options with you, helping you take the most productive next steps.

Representing You in Court

If negotiations fail, one option is to take your case to court. Our team of skilled trial offers is well equipped to present your case before a judge and jury and will fight as long as it takes to get justice.

Tehrani Law Firm cares about clients and about doing the right thing. Our approachable team sees the humanity in every case, so you can rest assured you will be treated like a person, not a case number, when you partner with our firm. We will listen to your concerns, respond to your questions, and keep you up-to-date on your case’s progress. With us, you will never be left wondering about the status of your case or whether your attorney is truly on your side. 

And you do not just have to take our word for it. You will evidence of our client-centered approach and human touch in our client testimonials. And you can see the substantial awards we have delivered for clients like you. The pain you are enduring is not fair. Let us help ease some of your stress by waging an aggressive legal strategy to put you on sound financial ground. 

There is no risk in reaching out. Our case consultations are free. Reach out with a call or a message to schedule yours today. The attentive, experienced Connecticut wrongful death lawyers from our firm are ready to hear your story and get to work.