Top 7 Causes of Wrongful Death Lawsuits in Florida
What does negligence look like? Learn what it takes to file a wrongful death claim in the state of Florida and where to seek legal advice.
Carelessness is most often the root cause of every wrongful death, no matter which state you live in. Losing a loved one is difficult, but adding someone else’s negligence on top of that is the last thing anyone should have to go through.
Unfortunately, it does happen, and it can look very different from case to case, meaning wrongful deaths have more than one form.
1. Car accidents
The most common type of accident in Florida is a car collision. In 2018, the Sunshine State ranked second on the list of worst states to drive in mainly due to distracted drivers, speeding, driving under the influence and tourists unfamiliar with the busy roads. Car accidents are magnets for wrongful deaths for these very reasons, tallying up to hundreds of crashes every day and thousands of fatalities each year.
If the driver is found to have been speeding, distracted, etc., then they could be held liable for the fatalities of the driver as well as any passengers.
2. Fatal accidents at work
Any occupation has a risk of accidents that can turn fatal, but the most notable ones are drivers, construction sites, warehouse workers and other manual labor jobs. There’s a higher likelihood of accidents like a slip and fall or collision with these jobs.
3. Truck accidents
Due to their large size and massive weight, semi-trucks are more likely to cause fatal car accidents more than any other vehicle. Drivers with improper training, driving on the road while fatigued, transporting an oversized load, bad weather or road conditions are the most common causes of a fatal truck accident.
4. Pedestrian accidents
Without the protection of a heavy steel frame, pedestrians are more likely to sustain fatal injuries if a car drives into them, which means the driver is most often held liable for negligence. In some cases, the city or county may be held liable because of poor street planning or hard-to-see walkways.
5. Aviation accidents
While it’s more likely to be involved in a car accident than it is to die from a falling plane, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Airplanes are just as capable of malfunctioning as any other vehicle. Pilots, while well-trained, are still human and can make mistakes just as easily as anyone else. Depending on which one is the cause, the airline or the pilot can be held liable.
6. Defective products
Medical devices, children’s toys, improperly cooked or packaged foods, and poorly manufactured cars are all examples of defective products that can cause fatalities. In these cases, the manufacturer is held liable for any damages and fatalities that occur because of their faulty product.
7. Medical malpractice
Just like airplane pilots, nurses and doctors are well-trained and highly skilled in their areas of expertise. However, they can just as easily make mistakes from fatigue, wrong surgical technique, misdiagnosis, or overcorrecting an error made during on-going treatment. If any of these leads to the death of a patient, the doctor or nurse treating them could be held liable for wrongful death.
If you have suffered the loss of a loved one due to negligence, find an experienced and trained attorney who will work with you to file a wrongful death claim and give you peace of mind.
