The wrongful death statute of limitations in Georgia is generally two years, per O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. Accordingly, in the event of a fatality caused by another party’s negligence, qualifying family members of the deceased may have up to two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Waiting longer than this to take legal action could result in the case’s dismissal.
Other Timelines that Could Prove Relevant
There may be circumstances that alter this general deadline and require a plaintiff to act sooner. For example, lawsuits against the government in Georgia have different filing deadlines. This includes:
- Six months for a claim against a city, per C.G.A. § 36-33-5
- One year for a claim against a county, per C.G.A. § 36-11-1
- One year for a claim against a state, per C.G.A. 50-21-26
A law firm that handles wrongful death lawsuits may be able to give you information about what specific deadlines pertain to your case during a free consultation.
For a free legal consultation, call (404) 888-8888
Understanding Wrongful Death Cases
Wrongful death claims in Georgia are usually filed by a surviving spouse, child, or parent of the deceased.
You Could Recover Wrongful Death Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Depending on how the fatality in question occurred, there may be different ways for qualifying family members of the deceased to seek compensation.
These benefits would be determined using the rules outlined in O.C.G.A. § 34-9-265, which governs workers’ compensation benefits for work-related deaths. In this case, we may use the deceased’s income and certain payout limits to determine how much benefits the deceased’s family may be entitled to.
Pursuing Compensation for Wrongful Death Caused by Negligence
If the accident resulted from the negligence or recklessness of another party, wrongful death liability rules might apply. For example, in each of the cases below, another person’s negligence could make them responsible for an accidental fatality:
- If a negligent driver causes a vehicular fatality, his or her employer, the vehicle owner, or the driver themselves may be at fault for the accident. A road repair team or municipal body may also share some of the blame for the accident if road damage or signage issues caused or contributed to the accident.
- If the actions of a negligent healthcare worker such as nursing home staff or a doctor caused the death of a nursing home resident or hospital patient, the worker or the institution that employs them may be liable for the resultant damages.
- Slip and fall cases that lead to death may involve premises liability rules that recognize property owners or operators as at fault for accidents that occur on a hazardous or poorly maintained property.
What is the Average Wrongful Death Settlement?
There is no way of knowing what the average Georgia wrongful death award is. However, our personal injury lawyers can create a settlement figure by identifying all your family’s losses.
What’s Required to File a Wrongful Death Claim
You may be able to file a wrongful death claim with the responsible party’s insurance company. If they do not make you a fair offer that reflects the value of your damages, you can also file a wrongful death lawsuit against them.
You may need to present evidence of the responsible party’s liability to recover compensation. Depending on the nature of the accident that caused your loved one’s death, this may include:
- Photos or videos from the accident scene
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Testimony from accident reconstruction experts
- Police reports or accident reports
- And more
A wrongful death lawyer in your area may be able to handle everything involved with your case when they represent you.
Damages in a Wrongful Death Case
The recoverable damages in a wrongful death case in Georgia may include:
- Funeral and burial costs
- Medical bills incurred before the deceased passed away
- Loss of earnings
- And more
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
How Our Lawyers Will Support Your Case
Your legal representative can take on all the details of your case while you rest and heal with your family. Our team can help you at this difficult time.
Some of the tasks we can complete for you include:
- Assigning value to your losses
- Interviewing witnesses of your loved one’s accident
- Recruiting accident reconstructionists and expert medical witnesses
- Filing paperwork
- Negotiating with the insurance company
- Standing with you in court, if necessary
- Talking to your loved one’s medical treatment team to understand what their injuries and condition was
- Answering your questions
- Making ourselves available to you
- Protecting your family member’s legal rights
A wrongful death lawyer may also be able to produce evidence of the value of your damages to use in your case.
Consider Retaining a Lawyer
You should be spending time with loved ones right now. You do not need to wrestle with insurance adjusters committed to underpaying your claim. Understanding the legal process is a confusing and overwhelming undertaking, as well. Let our team take on your case for you.
We take on cases like yours every day. Our firm is committed to serving Georgia accident victims and their families. Some of our past cases have resulted in the following awards:
- $400,000 for a workers’ compensation involving wrongful death
- $1.9 million for product liability due to defective equipment
- $500,000 for workers’ compensation involving amputation
Click to contact our personal injury lawyers today
Payment Details Concerning Our Firm
Our firm operates on a contingency-fee basis, meaning our clients do not pay us attorney fees unless and until they recover compensation in a court award or settlement offer.
Other firms require their clients to pay hefty fees for each hour of work or to pay for the full cost of representation upfront. You will not have to do this when working with us, however.
Bader Scott Injury Lawyers May be Able to Help You
Bader Scott Injury Lawyers handles wrongful death lawsuits in the Atlanta area. As a full-service law firm, we can take over all of the legal work in your case when we represent you.
For a free consultation on your wrongful death case with a member of our team, call Bader Scott Injury Lawyers today at (404) 888-8888. We can go over our services, legal options, and statute of limitations for your wrongful death case during this call.
Call or text (404) 888-8888 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
