Losing a loved one can be incredibly painful, and it is even more challenging when their death is the result of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing. In Maryland, wrongful death claims provide a legal avenue for families to get justice and compensation for their loss. Understanding the possibilities and limitations of these claims is essential to ensure that your loved one’s legacy is honored.
What Is a Wrongful Death in Maryland?
In Maryland, wrongful death is considered a death that was caused by the wrongful act or negligence of another person or entity. Wrongful death claims can happen for a broad variety of accidents, including anything from medical malpractice to car collisions. Certain family members can file wrongful death claims to help recover damages. Because these cases are so complex, working with an experienced attorney is essential.
Who Can File Wrongful Death Claims in Maryland?
Only certain people are allowed to file wrongful death claims in Maryland, and the law defines them as:
- Primary Beneficiaries: This category includes direct relatives of the deceased, including spouses, children, and parents. Primary beneficiaries are the ones who must file wrongful death claims before secondary beneficiaries.
- Secondary Beneficiaries: If there are no surviving primary beneficiaries, secondary beneficiaries can file a claim. Secondary beneficiaries include people like siblings, cousins, and other relatives, as well as other relatives who were financially dependent on the deceased.
Friends and more distant relatives are not able to file wrongful death claims.
What Does Compensation Look Like in Wrongful Death Claims?
Nothing can bring back your loved one and take away the pain and anguish that you’ve experienced. However, the compensation awarded in a wrongful death claim is intended to provide financial relief to surviving family members and to help make things right for the emotional pain and suffering they have endured.
Compensation can include both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include things like funeral costs, medical bills, loss of income, and the value of any services that the deceased person provided for the family, like childcare. Non-economic damages can be hard to put a number on, as they include your emotional pain and suffering and things like loss of companionship or loss of parental care.
Why Does Legal Representation Matter for Wrongful Death Claims?
When you are filing a wrongful death claim in Maryland, it is essential that you work with a skilled attorney. Your attorney will be able to help with many tough aspects of filing a claim, including investigating the case to establish liability, handling negotiations to ensure that you get the restitution that you deserve, and representing you in court if the case goes to trial. Many wrongful death claims can be resolved outside of court thanks to the hard work of attorneys behind the scenes, and we will do our best for you.
Contact Mobley & Brown, LLP for Help With Your Wrongful Death Claim
If your loved one passed away and you are interested in exploring wrongful death claims, you need the right legal assistance. Our experienced legal team is looking forward to working with you to meet your needs. Call us now at (410) 385-0398.
