St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Lawyer

Was your loved one killed in an accident in St. Petersburg, Florida? You’ve suffered an unimaginable loss. An experienced St. Petersburg wrongful death lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover compensation from the responsible parties.

Since 1955, our legal team has recovered more than $675 million in compensation for our clients after being involved in a St. Petersburg medical malpractice case, catastrophic injury, pedestrian accident, assault claim, and more types of accidents. You can trust our award-winning lawyers to fight for the maximum compensation your family deserves.

Our lawyers are ready to help you fight for justice. Contact our law office to schedule a free consultation today at (727) 349-1728.

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Wrongful Death Claim in St. Petersburg

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Can Help With a Wrongful Death Claim in St. Petersburg

As much as you try to prepare for the future, it’s never possible to fully prepare for the unexpected death of a loved one. While you’re dealing with your grief, you’ll also have to handle the more practical aspects of life, like work, raising your family, and dealing with household costs. That can make you question your future financial security.

If someone else was responsible for your tragic loss, you deserve to hold them accountable. Our experienced St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help you seek compensation for the loss you’ve suffered.

Collectively, our legal team has over 300 years of experience in personal injury law. We are the oldest personal injury firm in Tampa Bay — and one of the most decorated. We’ve been recognized as “Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars” by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers. Tampa Bay Magazine has also included members of our team on its list of  “Top Lawyers.”

When you hire our legal team to protect your legal rights after a fatal accident, we will:

  • Conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s injuries and death
  • Offer sound legal guidance and help you understand your legal options
  • Hire experts and specialists to help with all stages of your case
  • Assess the fair value of your insurance claim
  • Negotiate with the insurance companies to maximize the value of your settlement

We understand how insurance companies work. We’ll use our experience and knowledge to fight for your family’s rights.

Our lawyers would be happy to sit down with you. Call our law firm to schedule a free consultation with a St. Petersburg personal injury attorney.

How Common Are Fatal Accidents in St. Petersburg?

Fatal accidents happen every day in the state of Florida. In 2020, 3,344 people lost their lives in fatal motor vehicle accidents in Florida. Over 110 of those deaths occurred in Pinellas County. In 2019, at least 306 people lost their lives to fatal work injuries, and 2,764 Floridians lost their lives to fall injuries.

Many of these people were killed in preventable accidents. If they had survived, many of these victims would have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit for damages. That right doesn’t go away just because someone dies. Instead, the surviving family members can take action and hold negligent parties accountable.

What is My St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Case Worth?

What is My St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Case Worth?

Before we can make a reasonable estimate about what your case is worth, our attorneys will have to investigate your loved one’s death. The focus in these cases is evaluating what you lost in terms of a dollar amount.

Translating the loss of human life into monetary terms is always difficult. However, our lawyers have more than 300 years of experience between us. By working with experts and comparing your case to similar cases, we can better understand the value of your case.

We’ll look at the following factors to estimate how much your wrongful death claim is worth:

  • Your loved one’s age, life expectancy, and future earning potential
  • Your family’s out-of-pocket costs, including the cost of medical treatment
  • The age and life expectancy of the deceased person’s dependents
  • Your family’s emotional pain and suffering
  • Who and what caused your loved one’s death

Caps on insurance policy coverage can also impact the overall value of your settlement or verdict.

Establishing the value of a wrongful death claim is always complicated. If you would like an experienced wrongful death lawyer to review your case, call our law offices and schedule a free case evaluation today.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Wrongful Death?

Surviving family members may be entitled to recover several different types of damages under the Florida wrongful death law. Those damages are classified as economic damages or non-economic damages.

Our attorneys will fight to recover the full range of available damages. In a wrongful death lawsuit, those damages may include:

  • Medical bills incurred from the date of the accident to the date of death
  • Loss of financial support and service incurred from the date of the accident to the date of death, including interest
  • Loss of future support and services
  • Loss of parental companionship, instruction, and guidance
  • Mental pain and suffering
  • Loss of prospective net accumulations (loss of inheritance)
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of companionship and protect (loss of consortium)

The life expectancies of surviving dependents can be important in determining the value of your overall damages award. For example, a settlement may be higher if the decedent left behind young children who would have relied on financial support for years to come.

Can I Recover Damages if My Loved One is Being Blamed for a Fatal Accident in Florida?

Can I Recover Damages if My Loved One is Being Blamed for a Fatal Accident in Florida?

Unfortunately, it’s common for insurance companies to try blaming a decedent for their death. Florida is a modified comparative fault state, and it has a 51% bar to recovery. The insurance company could reduce your settlement if your loved one was even partly responsible for the accident. 

However, you can recover damages as long as the other party or parties are mostly responsible. Your damages could be reduced if the insurance company can prove your loved one shared fault. And you will be barred from recovering any compensation if your loved one shared most of the fault.

If the at-fault parties are trying to blame your loved one for a fatal accident, don’t hesitate to call Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for help. We’ll do everything possible to stand up for your loved one. Just give us a call today to learn more.

What Causes Most Fatal Accidents in St. Petersburg, Florida?

Any type of accident can cause a wrongful death if serious enough. 

At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of wrongful death claims in St. Petersburg, including those involving:

If your loved one was killed because of someone else’s actions, you could have a valid wrongful death lawsuit. Call our St. Petersburg wrongful death attorneys to schedule a free consultation today to learn more about your legal options.

How Do I Know Whether I Have a Valid Wrongful Death Claim in Florida? 

A wrongful death happens when someone is killed because of another person’s negligent, reckless or wrongful conduct. 

Most wrongful death cases are based on negligence. Someone is negligent when:

It’s not always easy to identify the cause of your loved one’s death to find out who was responsible. After all, you may not have been there to witness the accident. Our lawyers can help you find out what happened to cause your loved one’s death.

We’ll do that by locating all evidence related to the accident, including:

We may even hire accident reconstruction specialists to get a better sense of what happened.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Florida?

Even once you prove negligence, you’ll have to satisfy certain requirements to recover damages. The deceased person’s personal representative is the person who actually files a wrongful death lawsuit. However, only certain survivors have the right to damages.

Those family members include:

  • A surviving spouse
  • Children
  • Parents
  • Blood relatives and adopted siblings who are at least partially dependent on the decedent for support or services

The amount of available damages often depends upon the identities of the lawsuit’s beneficiaries.

How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Florida?

Surviving family members have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit. The clock starts running on the date of your loved one’s death–which isn’t always the same date as the accident.

We know that you’ve suffered an unimaginable loss. However, the consequences for letting the Florida statute of limitations expire are harsh. You risk losing your right to compensation entirely if you wait too long. 

Let our attorneys take the lead while you take care of your family. Call our law firm to schedule a free case review to get started today.

Contact a St. Petersburg Wrongful Death Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Did you lose a loved one because of someone else’s carelessness in St. Petersburg? Call a St. Petersburg wrongful death lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers today. By scheduling your free consultation, you’ll be one step closer to protecting your family’s financial security.

Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in St. Petersburg, Fl

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers
2560 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
(727) 349-1728

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