Wrongful Death Lawyers in Lexington Park, MD

Losing a loved one due to the actions of another is never expected, and trying to cope with that loss is understandably difficult. If you lost your loved one because of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to take legal action and hold the liable party accountable, preventing the same earth-shattering tragedy from befalling another.

Alpert Schreyer knows that no type of legal action can bring your loved one back or truly make up for your loss, but a successful legal claim may bring you some closure and help you resolve any debt and expenses that have accumulated as a result. We will fight tirelessly to help you recover your maximum compensation and hold the at-fault party responsible.

Contact our Lexington Park wrongful death lawyers online today. Case evaluations are offered free of charge and obligation.

Who Is Eligible to File a Wrongful Death Claim?

While many people are affected by a person’s wrongful death — their loved ones, friends, coworkers, and relatives — only those who are considered primary and secondary beneficiaries are legally allowed to file a claim.

Primary beneficiaries include surviving spouses, natural and adopted children, and the parents of the deceased individual. They can file both a “wrongful death action” to recover damages for their own losses arising from their loved one’s untimely death or a “survival action” to seek compensation for losses experienced by the estate. Survival actions can also be filed by secondary beneficiaries, which include nieces, nephews, siblings, and other relatives. At this time, the state of Maryland does not allow secondary beneficiaries to file a wrongful death action.

All compensation awarded for a survival action is paid to the estate, not to the person who filed the claim. Therefore, secondary beneficiaries cannot pursue damages for themselves.

Deadlines for Filing a Wrongful Death Claim

Maryland law allows individuals three years from the date of their loved one’s death to file a wrongful death action, per the statute of limitations. This deadline may be shortened if a government body is named in the claim; in some cases, there could even be multiple deadlines to which you must adhere. If any deadlines are missed, the court may consider your claim ineligible and refuse to review it at all.

Economic, Non-Economic, and Capped Damages

No amount of money can make up for a person’s death, but the court can only offer monetary compensation as a means of justice for those pursuing wrongful death and survival actions. For these cases, damages typically tend to include pain and suffering experienced by you and/or the deceased person before their time of death, any lost wages, property damage, medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and/or the loss of guidance, companionship, consortium, or care.

Damages, such as medical expenses, are considered “economic damages” because they must be paid with money by someone to someone (e.g. medical bills must be paid to the hospital). On the other hand, there are “non-economic damages,” which are simply damages that cannot be easily quantified in monetary terms, such as pain and suffering and the loss of companionship. Lexington Park and the state of Maryland currently cap all non-economic damages at $2 million.

Should I Hire a Lawyer?

It is more than worth it to hire an attorney to assist you in filing a wrongful death claim, as they will be able to save you time and money. If you submit your claim incorrectly or with partial information, you will be required to spend more time filling out documents to correct it and may end up having to retain a lawyer or paralegal to sort it out anyway. It is always easier to start with a stable foundation and build a strong claim up from there.

Furthermore, many lawyers will accept your case on a contingency fee basis, so you will not have to pay unless you win your claim. At Alpert Schreyer, we follow this practice: If we do not bring your claim to a favorable outcome, you will not owe us a penny.

Work with an Experienced Lexington Park Attorney Team

Alpert Schreyer is home to a team of wrongful death attorneys that has recovered millions of dollars for bereaved clients, helping them find closure and move on. Past case results cannot guarantee a favorable outcome for your case, rather they demonstrate our great skill in handling such legal claims. We are renowned by Super Lawyers®, Martindale-Hubbell®, our peers, and our past clients because of our success in and dedication to guiding Lexington Park residents through some of the hardest times of their lives.

FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU. CALL A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWYER AT OUR LEXINGTON PARK OFFICE AT 301-381-2655.