Together you planned the funeral and together you are mourning the death of your loved one. You shielded each other from the media coverage of your loved one’s tragic truck accident and you are relying on each other more than ever to get through this horrible time.
You are grateful for your surviving family members.
But There Are Some Things You Just Shouldn’t Do Together After Your Loved One’s Death
Your family is united right now and that is an incredible source of strength. However, sometimes the closeness of the family—combined with your emotional suffering—can lead to significant mistakes. There is a feeling of invincibility together with a desire for a justice that can lead to the following commonly made mistakes:
- Making a public statement. Truck accident deaths often garner public attention. The media may report on the accident and seek a statement from the family. It may be tempting to have one member of the family make a statement while surrounded by relatives. You want others to know what this truck accident has cost your loved one and your family. You want your loved one to be remembered. However, providing a statement to the media may not be the best way to accomplish your goals. Anything that you say to the media can later be used against you during settlement negotiations or at trial. Thus, there are better ways to seek justice and to make sure that your loved one’s memory is protected.
- Fighting with each other. Your family is under a great deal of stress because of the sudden and tragic loss of your loved one. It is natural that there will be some disagreements, but it is important to stay focused on your family’s recovery and not to let the fighting prevail.
- Delaying the pursuit of justice. You may assume that one family member or another is talking to a lawyer and handling the legal claim. However, it is important that you don’t make the assumption and instead ask questions of the person who is named the personal representative of your loved one’s estate. Make sure that this person has spoken with a reputable wrongful death lawyer.
- Letting a difference of opinion prevent you from seeking justice. Some relatives may want to pursue a wrongful death case and others may not. While these differences may feel insurmountable, they are often the result of incomplete information. Instead of letting these differences keep you from pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit, make sure everyone knows what a wrongful death lawsuit is and isn’t and why it is important to consider.
- Having multiple family members speak to insurance adjusters. Insurance adjusters may try to play you off of one another and get you to contradict each other. Anything you say to insurance adjusters may be used against you in settlement negotiations.
While these mistakes are common, they are not inevitable.
Instead, Your Family Can Work Together to Pursue Justice
Your loved one’s death does not have to divide your family. Your goals are more similar than you think. As you all grieve, you want your loved one to be remembered and you want the trucker who took his life to be held accountable.
A wrongful death case can help your family accomplish these goals.
To find out more about how a wrongful death case may help your family, please download our FREE report, Critical Information to Know Before Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Kentucky, and share it with your relatives so that together you make an informed decision that is best for your family.
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