Some jobs result in accidental death. It is not a common occurrence, but it is also not an unusual situation. If you have lost a family member due to an unfortunate work accident, you should hire a worker's compensation attorney who doubles as a wrongful death attorney. Here are the benefits to hiring a dual-purpose lawyer.
Two Directions to Take the Lawsuit
A wrongful death related to your family member's job means that your dual-purpose lawyer can take your lawsuit in two directions. First, you pursue worker's compensation benefits, which should cover death benefits for your family member. If the benefits are denied, your worker's compensation attorney/wrongful death attorney can pursue a lawsuit against the employer and the worker's compensation insurance company. That provides you with some of the expected compensation if and when your lawyer wins your case.
The wrongful death lawsuit is your second lawsuit. After you have attempted and either won or lost your worker's compensation suit, your lawyer can pursue the wrongful death suit against your family member's employer. If you win this case, it makes up the remainder of the expected compensation your dual-purpose lawyer intended to get for you and any children you share with the deceased.
Larger Compensation Package
You can expect a larger compensation package because your two-in-one lawyer is fighting a battle on two fronts for nearly double the expected amount of compensation. If the death of your family member is a clear-cut case of work-related death caused by an employer's or supervisor's negligent actions, you can expect most, if not all, of the full amount of compensation your lawyer is pursuing. If there are any gray areas in the case, you may lose one case and win the other, or win both cases for less, or win neither of your cases the first time through and have to appeal. Overall, most clear-cut cases usually get the maximum compensation allowed by law.
A Lawyer on Contingency
It is possible that your dual-purpose lawyer works on contingency. If that is the case, he or she will work for "free" until your cases are won. Then you receive the bill for services rendered. Your lawyer will expect to receive a portion of your compensation as payment when you are not able to pay your bill upon receipt. If this is the case with your lawyer, it relieves you of the burden of trying to function, grieve, bury your family member, and get through court all the same time.
Contact a law firm, like The Reed Noble Law Firm PLLC, for more help.
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