$5
Million
$5 million settlement
We recently won a $5 million settlement for a wrongful death & injury case to survivor due to car crash.
When a family member dies suddenly in a car crash, work accident, or other catastrophic event, everything is turned upside down. Death can strike at any time, tearing away a loved one and leaving family members reeling with shock and grief. Our Zionsville, IN, wrongful death lawyer is ready to help families get the justice and compensation they deserve. This is especially true if the death was caused by another party’s negligence and could have been avoided.
If you’ve lost a loved one in Zionsville, IN, and you believe it may have been a wrongful death, don’t hesitate to get help. Contact our Zionsville wrongful death attorney to learn if you’re eligible for compensation.
Since 1976, we’ve successfully helped get compensation for people who have lost family members because of the wrongful actions of others. We want to help you, too.
Call Stephenson Rife today at (317) 680-2501 to schedule your free consultation with our Zionsville wrongful death lawyer.
What Is Wrongful Death?
Wrongful death is the legal term for a death that was caused through the negligence of another. Wrongful death claims ask for damages to compensate eligible family members for what they’ve lost due to the death. But not all family members are eligible to file or collect in a wrongful death claim.
A wrongful death lawsuit can be pursued in many different circumstances. Wrongful death suits are commonly sought after a death caused by:
- Auto accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Defective products
- Defective drugs or medical devices
- Unsafe work environments or machinery
- Dangerous road or construction conditions
- Unsafe property conditions.
Any time a loved one dies unexpectedly, there’s a chance their death was the avoidable result of another’s negligence. Taking the time to consult with a wrongful death attorney in Zionsville, IN, can make a big difference to your finances as you navigate medical bills, funeral costs, lost income, and other unanticipated expenses after an unexpected death.
No amount of money can fix the pain caused by the sudden loss of a loved one. However, wrongful death compensation can provide immense relief and support as your family grieves and adjusts to life after an unexpected loss.
Do I Need a Zionsville Wrongful Death Lawyer?
Your Chances of Winning Your Case Are Higher with an Attorney
You will typically stand a better chance of getting the full value of damages with the help of our experienced Zionsville wrongful death attorney who understands how insurers operate and knows how to effectively negotiate with them. Wrongful death cases are one of the most difficult types of lawsuits to successfully navigate. Insurance companies are reluctant to pay out.
When a wrongful death is caused by negligence of a corporation or organization, the legal fight may have added challenges. Companies may have established protocols and their own legal teams to help protect them from liability in situations like wrongful death. And, on top of taking on the company’s legal team, our Zionsville wrongful death lawyer will have to take on the insurer’s lawyers, too.
Dealing with extensive legal documentation, the collection of evidence, and building a strong case requires the services of a trained legal professional if you hope to achieve full compensation. When you work with Stephenson Rife, our attorney will need to do extensive work to prove wrongful death occurred.
Our attorneys will also help you with all the details in your Zionsville wrongful death case. We make sure you meet filing deadlines and paperwork is correctly completed. Our attorney will also help you value your claim so that you ask for the full compensation you are entitled to and don’t leave money on the table. And our skilled wrongful death attorney in Zionsville, IN, will fight for your interests through every step in the process, allowing you to focus on your loved ones during this time of mourning.
How Will Your Zionsville Wrongful Death Attorney Help Me?
We Lift the Burden from Grieving Families
The shock of grief and dealing with funeral preparations and other adjustments to loss already place a huge strain on a grieving family. Pursuing a complex legal case could seem like an insurmountable task. That’s why you can depend on the help and support of our experienced Zionsville wrongful death attorney.
As highly experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorneys, we know how to take on insurance companies and achieve fair settlements for our clients. We also know how to present evidence to juries to get positive results for wrongful death survivors. Our wrongful death lawyers in Zionsville, IN, allow you the space to grieve with the assurance that justice is being pursued on your behalf. When you work with our team, we will prepare a strong case that includes several elements. We will…
- Conduct a thorough investigation
- Establish liability
- Consult with experts and witnesses
- Handle insurance communication and paperwork
- Establish a compensation target
- Skillfully negotiate on your behalf
- Offer strong representation in court.
Wrongful death claims can arise from a wide variety of situations. The needs, process, and outcome in every case will be unique.
Why Choose Stephenson Rife
Our Zionsville Wrongful Death Lawyers Have a Record of Results
When you need wrongful death lawyers in Zionsville, IN, Stephenson Rife is here for you. Our experienced and successful attorneys have a long track record of gaining sizeable compensation sums for families who have lost a loved one through negligence.
The driven team of attorneys at Stephenson Rife believes that clients should never have to settle for anything less than their best interests. Our high skill level is demonstrated by our past case results, our client testimonials, and our distinguished legal awards, all of which help lend clients peace of mind when it comes to choosing a wrongful death attorney in Zionsville, IN.
If you’ve lost a loved one and believe another’s negligence may have played a role, learn your options by speaking with our wrongful death attorney in Zionsville, IN. Call Stephenson Rife at (317) 680-2501 to discuss the possibility of compensation after losing a loved one in a wrongful death.
Compensation for a Zionsville Wrongful Death
Zionsville wrongful death cases present a particularly challenging legal situation. In most personal injury cases, injured people seek compensation for themselves. Wrongful death is more complicated. In a Zionsville wrongful death case, close family members seek compensation for the loss of a loved one. Once negligence is established, the party responsible for the death can be made to provide compensation for damages.
Our wrongful death attorneys in Zionsville, IN, will work to understand all aspects of how the loss has impacted your life. Then they’ll identify an appropriate target compensation amount and build a case showing evidence of the damages you claim. When building a case, wrongful death attorneys in Zionsville, IN, can help you seek two different types of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages in a Zionsville wrongful death suit are sought for items that caused you to spend or lose money or incur debt. Examples include:
- Medical bills
- Funeral and burial costs
- Lost wages and benefits
Non-economic damages provide compensation for losses that don’t have a monetary value. In a Zionsville wrongful death lawsuit, you can seek compensation for damages such as:
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of consortium and companionship
The state of Indiana does not allow punitive damages in a wrongful death case and provides a damages cap in only one situation (IN Code § 34-23-1-2). When the deceased was unmarried and had no dependents, a damages payment cannot exceed $300,000. For any other situation, there is no legal limit on how much compensation you might receive.
FAQs About Wrongful Death Cases in Zionsville
Common Client Questions for Wrongful Death Lawyers in Zionsville, IN
Every wrongful death case looks different, but the legalities are largely the same. Here are some of the more common questions new clients ask when considering a wrongful death claim.
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Our Zionsville wrongful death lawyers at Stephenson Rife work with clients on a contingency fee basis. Your attorney fees are factored in as a percentage of the overall compensation amount and are paid only if and when your case is successful.
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Compensation in a wrongful death case can vary widely. It depends on many factors, including medical debts incurred and whether the deceased had dependents. Usually, a successful wrongful death claim comes with a high compensation amount due to the high level of loss.
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Only close family members can file a Zionsville wrongful death claim. In Indiana, usually eligible family members are the deceased’s parents, children, spouse, or legal guardians.
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It’s hard to estimate in advance how long a wrongful death case will take. Many different factors contribute to the time frame, including the strength of evidence, the number of parties, the complexity of the case, the amount of money at stake, and whether the case is settled through negotiation or a court verdict.
The high payout amounts potentially available in a wrongful death claim often make a long wait time worthwhile.
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The Indiana statute of limitations for a wrongful death claim is two years. This may sound like a lot of time, but lots of work must be done before a case is ready to be filed. It’s a mistake to delay speaking with a Zionsville wrongful death attorney, as waiting can disqualify you from compensation.
Wrongful death happens to people of all ages and can be caused by a wide variety of situations. When you’re considering a wrongful death lawsuit, you undoubtedly have questions specific to the circumstances that caused the death of your loved one.
Our Zionsville wrongful death attorneys at Stephenson Rife would be glad to help by answering any additional questions during a free consultation. Give us a call today.
Contact Our Zionsville Wrongful Death Attorney Today
We Fight for Justice When a Loved One Is Lost
Wrongful death is one of the most difficult and emotional hurdles you and your family can encounter. The grief of any loss is bad enough. The knowledge that a loved one’s loss was the avoidable result of another’s negligence makes the death even more difficult to accept.
No amount of compensation can bring your loved one back. What it can do is allow your family time to grieve without financial stress, and it can serve justice to the responsible party.
Attorney Mike Stephenson
Mike Stephenson has 40 years of experience and is a trusted advisor to many individuals and companies. His current practice is dominated by civil litigation in state and federal courts. He focuses much of his time on handling catastrophic injuries caused by all types of accidents, including motor vehicle, trucking, workplace injuries, product liability, and fire, just to name a few. He also works extensively in construction accidents. [ Attorney Bio ]
