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Illinois Wrongful Death Laws
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In Illinois, a wrongful death occurs when someone is killed through the misconduct or negligence of another person, company or entity. It could occur from a car accident, medical malpractice, police abuse, or other acts of negligence and misconduct. In Illinois the estate of the deceased is the one with the right to bring a wrongful death lawsuit and seek damages.
Much like every area of law in Illinois, there is a statute of limitations that limits the time an estate has to file a lawsuit for wrongful death or else it will be barred. That time limit depends on who and what caused the wrongful death. On average it is two years from the accident date or death date, but to be safe, if you believe you may have a wrongful death claim it is best to seek legal advice as soon as possible as any delay could cause you to lose your rights to recover forever. If the defendant in your possible case is a government agency, the statute of limitations would likely be less than two years. For example, if you wanted to sue the University of Illinois for medical malpractice, the suit could be filed no later than one year from the date of the death of the person that died, possibly sooner.
Damages in wrongful death cases can include medical expenses, lost wages, loss of future expected support, pain and suffering and loss of companionship. There is no magic formula for determining what a viable case is worth as every situation is different.
Any attorney that you would find when searching for an Illinois wrongful death lawyer should handle your case on a contingency basis. That means there is no fee unless the case is successful and a recovery is made.
This has been a very brief overview into Illinois wrongful death laws. If you have any questions about other situations that may lead to a wrongful death lawsuit please do not hesitate to contact us. All e-mails are free and confidential.
Findgreatlawyers.com focuses on finding wrongful death lawyers in every part of the state of Illinois. From Chicago to Rockford, to Central Illinois, down to Southern Illinois, and every county in between. Whatever the legal area or location within the state of Illinois, we know the perfect lawyer for you