Wrongful Death Attorney Charleston, SC

Have you recently experienced a death in the family due to an avoidable accident or the misconduct of another? In addition to the emotional toll, the loss of a loved one may have serious financial consequences as well. When a death is caused by someone else’s negligence or recklessness, the surviving family members, and the Estate of the loved one have a legal right to compensation for funeral/burial expenses, medical expenses, income lost, and more.

Wrongful Death Attorney Caroline West brings empathy, understanding, compassion and experienced legal guidance to families facing the effects of a loved-one’s untimely death. She will inform and advise you on your legal rights and options, fight for accountability and compensation for losses associated with the death.

Wrongful death compensation won’t change what happened, but a settlement or award can help provide financial security for your family and help prevent financial distress due to someone else’s negligence. You and your family deserve financial recovery and a sense of closure after your loss.

Wrongful Death and Survival Claims in South Carolina

In South Carolina, a wrongful death and survival lawsuit may be brought against individuals and/or entities whose negligence, wrongful, or illegal act caused someone else’s death.

For example, someone operating a motor vehicle while impaired or a manufacturer of an unsafe or defective product that causes death. A wrongful death and survival claim must demonstrate that the defendant showed a disregard for the deceased’s safety and that those actions or inactions were a cause of the deceased’s death.

Eligible to benefit from a wrongful death and survival claim are the deceased’s:

Husband/wife and child/children, or
Parent(s) if there is no spouse or child, or
Heirs of the deceased if no other eligible family member survives.

A Charleston, SC wrongful death lawyer can help you make a claim for:

Funeral & burial expenses
Medical expenses (prior to death)
Lost wages & benefits
Damage to personal property
Additional financial losses related to the death
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Loss of companionship

If you are dealing with a loved one’s death in an accident that someone else caused, it may be a good idea to set up a free consultation with our Charleston wrongful death attorney, Caroline West to review and discuss your options. If you decide to move forward with a wrongful death and survival claim, there will be no legal fees unless and until you are awarded compensation.

Wrongful death and survival cases often are connected to:

Car Accidents — Auto accidents and car crashes are the cause of hundreds of deaths in South Carolina, every year. Reckless driving, speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, fatigued driving, and other negligent behaviors are often the cause. Police may file criminal charges against the driver that caused the crash, but you will need to file a separate civil wrongful death and survival claim or lawsuit to pursue compensation.
Truck Accidents — When large trucks collide with passenger vehicles, the occupants of the smaller cars are very likely to die. Multiple parties may be responsible for negligence that leads to a fatal truck accident, including the driver, trucking company, trailer owner, cargo loader, or a truck parts manufacturer. Commercial truck accidents are complex because of the multiple parties involved and the volume of federal laws regulating the industry.
Medical Malpractice — When a health care provider such as a doctor, nurse, hospital, or clinic provides substandard care that leads to the death of a patient. Any unexpected death of a patient under medical care should be investigated independently of the medical professional or institution that was caring for the patient. The medical malpractice law firm of West Law may be able to help determine what really happened to your loved one, and whether the treatment provided was substandard.
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect — South Carolina nursing homes have a legal duty to ensure that those in their care are safe and receive proper medical care. If your loved one in a nursing home has died unexpectedly or after a sudden unexplained decline in health, it is a good idea to investigate the circumstances. If an investigation turns up evidence of abuse or neglect, we’ll work with you to hold the nursing home accountable through a wrongful death and survival claim or lawsuit. In addition to recovering compensation for you, a successful lawsuit can bring dangerous issues at a nursing home to light and prevent other families from experiencing a similar loss.
Defective Products — Every year in South Carolina and across the nation, defective products cause injury and even death. West Law has experience needed to navigate these complex cases in which companies design, manufacture and sell unsafe products.

Every fatal accident has a unique set of circumstances. That’s why solid legal experience matters when pursuing a wrongful death and survival claim. Our Charleston wrongful death lawyer has over 25 years of experience and is committed to helping those in Charleston and throughout South Carolina.

Contact Our Charleston Wrongful Death Attorney Today

If your life has been upended by the death of a loved one in an accident that you believe may have been preventable, get in touch today and schedule a free consultation. Our wrongful death attorney can pursue legal action on your behalf if it’s determined that someone else’s careless behavior or intentional misconduct contributed to the death.