A misconception that may exist surrounding wrongful death lawsuits in Birmingham is that they must involve some apparent element of recklessness or negligence. In reality, however, any case in which a person dies due to the wrongful actions of another may qualify for such an action.
In this context, “wrongful action” may not necessarily be intentional. People typically will not do something expecting that it will result in another’s death (or if they do, they might believe themselves justified in doing it). Yet when that is the result, the victim’ families and loved ones may require compensation to help deal with accompanying losses. It makes sense that such compensation would come from the party deemed responsible.
Settlement reached in Walmart shooting
In the case of the tragic shooting of an Ohio man, the responsible party ended up being local authorities. The incident occurred after law enforcement officials responded to a 911 call about a man carrying a gun around a local Walmart. One officer ended up shooting and killing the man, only to later discover that he bought the gun there in the store. The city ultimately settled with the man’s family.
Compensating for financial and emotional losses
Even if one’s death was unintentional, that does not change the fact that they may leave both a huge emotional and financial void in the lives of their families and friends. Those losses should merit compensation when their death was the result of another’s negligent or mistaken action. Yet earning such compensation involves complexities that those unfamiliar with civil statutes may struggle with. For this reason, having an experienced attorney on one’s side during the process may be a great benefit.
