Kalamazoo Wrongful Death Lawyer

Kalamazoo Wrongful Death Attorney

Kalamazoo, MI, is a bustling city with a proud history, a diverse economy, and a reasonable cost of living. Just like anywhere else, however, tragic accidents can occur without warning, leaving families devastated and searching for answers. If your family is grieving a wrongful death in the Kalamazoo area, Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC’s Kalamazoo wrongful death lawyers can help you in the quest for justice and accountability.

From Westnedge Avenue to the Western Michigan University campus, life in Kalamazoo moves at full speed. But when negligence, reckless behavior, or intentional harm occur in this bustling city, the consequences for innocent people can be extremely serious, sometimes even fatal. When someone’s negligent or reckless actions take a life, the impact is felt through whole families and communities. As a proud part of that community, the team at Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, is ready to fight for you.

At Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, we don’t just file lawsuits; we provide top-notch guidance and steadfast support. While you focus on the grieving process and supporting your family, we can take the lead, crafting a solid case with compelling evidence. Our mission is to design and implement a custom-tailored legal strategy that honors your loved one’s memory, holds negligent parties accountable, and aligns with your unique goals.

Why Kalamazoo Families Choose to Hire a Wrongful Death Lawyer from Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC.

When faced with an unimaginable loss, grieving families are often unsure if they have the emotional energy to navigate Michigan’s civil court system. They may also have concerns about the financial aspects of hiring an skilled personal injury attorney in Kalamazoo to act on their behalf. The reality is that these are valid concerns for many folks. Wrongful death cases are uniquely complex and emotionally exhausting. While quality legal help can indeed be a significant investment, the stakes in this situation are too high to miss your window of opportunity to file a wrongful death claim.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, aims to make this process easier for grieving Michiganders by offering responsive, highly effective, and customized legal strategies. Our legal services are designed to meet each client’s unique situation, no matter how complex, contentious, or high profile, and we have a long track record of success with wrongful death lawsuits and other types of civil litigation. You can learn all about our painless billing policies by setting up a free consultation.

Understanding Wrongful Death Lawsuits in Kalamazoo, MI

The State of Michigan has strict and complex wrongful death laws that outline who can file a claim and other details of the process. While wrongful death lawsuits are a civil court matter, the process actually begins in probate court. When someone passes away, their estate enters the probate court system so that their final affairs can be handled (outstanding debts, disbursement of inheritances, etc.). A personal estate representative is appointed to oversee and facilitate this final business.

This personal estate representative, because they legally stand for the decedent’s estate and its interests, is the only party who can actually file the wrongful death lawsuit. While a wrongful death claim seeks to benefit the deceased’s surviving family members, the actual claim will be filed by the personal estate representative, ideally with assistance from third-party legal representation.

Causes of Wrongful Deaths in Kalamazoo

Bad accidents can happen just about anywhere and at any time. In Kalamazoo, wrongful death claims can arise from a broad range of scenarios. Some examples include:

• Motor Vehicle Crashes: Car crashes, commercial truck disasters, motorcycle crashes, and collisions involving pedestrians account for a large number of wrongful death claims in the United States every year. There are around 1.000 fatal car crashes in Michigan every year, and while not all of these will meet the legal definition of “wrongful death,” many crashes are further scrutinized in a courtroom.
• Medical Malpractice: Negligence in a medical setting is, unfortunately, another fairly common source of wrongful death actions. Medical malpractice incidents can range from surgical mishaps to medication errors and in the most extreme cases, can be fatal toWhen a doctor or health system fails to live up to the standard of care that is (and Michigan law) expected of them, injured parties are entitled to take legal action. This includes taking legal action in the form of a wrongful death suit on behalf of someone who was lost to an extreme act of medical negligence.

Proving Wrongful Death in Michigan

In order to prove wrongful death in Michigan, you must provide compelling evidence and testimony, much like most other legal matters. To succeed in a wrongful death action, you must not only prove that someone else’s negligence directly caused the death in question, but also that this death resulted in legally compensable damages for the surviving beneficiaries. Contact an attorney for reliable assistance in filing a damages claim.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC – Kalamazoo’s Preferred Wrongful Death Attorneys

At Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, we do not strive to take on high-volume cases or provide instant resolutions, but to support each client and create tailored strategies for each wrongful death case. We take a proactive, hands-on approach to each case so that you and your family can focus on healing.

Please contact Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, at your earliest convenience to set up a free and totally confidential consultation.