Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
If you’re struggling with the recent loss of a loved one, it’s time to call a Hempstead, NY, wrongful death lawyer. Our experienced legal professionals with Shulman & Hill can give you and your family the space you need to grieve while protecting your right to demand compensation and justice from a liable party.
We bring over 200 years of combined experience to each client’s wrongful death case. That experience makes it easier to navigate the civil system and hold insurance adjusters at bay. You can trust our Hempstead personal injury lawyers to take your grief seriously while also pushing to have your financial needs met.
We understand that you’re going through some of the hardest days of your life. Let us be your allies in your hour of need.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Hempstead?
Wrongful death cases allow you and your family to financially recover after the unexpected death of a loved one. However, not everyone can file a wrongful death claim. If you want to move forward with legal action on behalf of a deceased loved one, you’ll need to prove that you’re that person’s personal representative.
Most New York residents establish personal representatives (or executors) in their wills. If your loved one died without establishing a personal representative, Hempstead’s courts can assign a representative.
If you’re not sure whether or not you have the right to take legal action in a loved one’s name, you can connect with our Hempstead, NY, wrongful death attorneys to discuss your right to move forward with a case.
Who Benefits From a Wrongful Death Claim?
Wrongful death cases put you back in control of your financial future, even as you grieve the loss of someone you love. The damages you receive from a wrongful death claim can help you pay for a loved one’s medical expenses, property damage, and funeral expenses, not to mention your pain and suffering.
However, these claims can further benefit the relatives protected by New York’s inheritance laws. The damages awarded by the legal system are specifically designated for these parties, including the deceased’s spouse, children, parents, and siblings.
Even grandparents, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren can financially benefit from a wrongful death claim.
When Should You Contact a Hempstead Wrongful Death Lawyer?
Do not wait to get in touch with a wrongful death attorney in Hempstead. We understand that you’re still weighing your legal options, but our support doesn’t obligate you to pursue one path over another.
We can work with you to untangle an insurance company’s motives and argue for your right to comprehensive financial support. We can also represent you in civil court, where you can ask a judge and jury to weigh in on your family’s right to compensation. No matter which way you want to proceed, your case consultation with us comes free of charge.
Getting in touch with us sooner rather than later makes it easier to stay on top of your case’s statute of limitations. Per N.Y. Est. Powers & Trusts Law § 5-4.1.1, you have two years to act on a loved one’s losses. However, if there are criminal charges pending against your liable party, you have until a year after the criminal case concludes to file your claim for damages.
Is Wrongful Death a Crime in New York?
The negligence that leads to wrongful deaths can break New York’s criminal laws. Police officers may arrest the person liable for your loved one’s death and charge them with manslaughter, second-degree murder, or a similar charge.
In these cases, you may find yourself working with a state prosecutor to get justice for a loved one’s loss. This is not our area of practice. We work with grieving families to demand financial justice after negligence causes someone’s untimely death. However, our civil case and a criminal case can take place simultaneously.
If New York’s criminal courts convict a liable party of criminal misconduct, you can include that conviction among the proof you use to argue for your family’s right to compensation. We can help you integrate a criminal case’s developments into your civil case, as appropriate, as your fight for compensation progresses.
Let’s Build Your Wrongful Death Case Together
A wrongful death case can’t give you back the person you lost in an accident. No amount of money is ever going to pay off your grief. That’s not what the team at Shulman & Hill wants to help you do.
Our wrongful death attorneys in Hempstead, NY, are here to give you the tools you need to pay your bills and give yourself the space you need to celebrate a loved one’s lost life. We do this by aggressively and compassionately advocating for your right to wrongful death compensation.
We do not let insurance companies diminish your losses, and we won’t let liable parties deny your request for support. We push to make your voice heard in and out of civil court. If you need an ally in the wake of a tragic loss, call Shulman & Hill.