If you’ve lost a close family member in an accident in Bowling Green, Kentucky, it’s time to call Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC. Your family may have the right to pursue compensation from those responsible for your devastating loss.
Our Bowling Green wrongful death lawyers can help you fight for the accountability and financial recovery you deserve.
Choosing Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC to handle your wrongful death lawsuit puts an award-winning team of Kentucky trial attorneys with over 100 years of combined experience in your corner. Our tireless pursuit of justice for our clients has helped us win more than $1 billion in life-changing monetary awards.
Contact our law office serving Bowling Green, KY, at (859) 550-2900 to find out how we can help you navigate this difficult time. Your initial case assessment is free.
How Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC Can Help If You’ve Suffered the Wrongful Death of a Family Member in Bowling Green, KY
It’s tough to know where to turn for help or who to trust after a fatal accident in Bowling Green. It’s important to find someone you can count on to help you work toward a meaningful financial recovery. That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to talk to a Bowling Green personal injury attorney for help.
Our law firm is home to some of the most known and respected trial attorneys in the state of Kentucky. We’ve been recognized by Benchmark Litigation, Martindale-Hubbell, LawDragon, the National Law Journal, Super Lawyers, and other top legal organizations for our client-focused strategies and winning results.
We’re here to handle every aspect of your wrongful death case so that you have time to grieve your loss properly and begin to figure out how to move forward.
Count on our Bowling Green personal injury attorneys to:
- Thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your loved one’s wrongful death
- Evaluate the evidence we gather during discovery
- Bring in expert witnesses to consult as we build your case
- Calculate what your wrongful death case is worth
- Prepare and file your claim with the insurance company and/or local Warren County court
- Offer advice and support as you make important case-related decisions
- Represent your family’s best interests during negotiations and at trial, if necessary
If the at-fault party or the insurance company refuses to take responsibility or offer your family a fair settlement, our respected Kentucky trial attorneys will not hesitate to bring your case to a jury. Our success in the courtroom can be a huge asset to you, forcing the defense to take your case more seriously and ultimately leverage a meaningful award on your behalf.
We work on contingency, so there’s no upfront cost to ask our personal injury law firm in Bowling Green for help. You only pay if we win compensation for your wrongful death claim.
Reach out to our team serving Bowling Green today to learn more. Your initial case assessment is always free.
What is a Wrongful Death Claim?
When a person is injured in an accident in Kentucky, they’ll reserve the right to seek damages from a negligent party or insurance company. The right to sue doesn’t disappear just because an accident is fatal.
In Kentucky, it shifts to another party. This related claim is known as a wrongful death lawsuit. It may be brought when a person’s death results “from an injury inflicted by the negligence or wrongful act of another.”
It’s similar to a personal injury lawsuit but intends to compensate the victim’s surviving heirs for their losses.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Bowling Green, Kentucky?
Not just anyone has the right to bring a wrongful death claim after a fatal accident in Bowling Green, KY. State law limits this right to the victim’s personal representative.
Typically, this is someone named in the victim’s Last Will and Testament – often a spouse, family member, or close family friend.
If no personal representative is named, one is appointed by the court. This might be a close relative or a personal injury attorney.
The personal representative files the claim on behalf of the victim’s estate and for the benefit of the deceased’s heirs.
Damages in a wrongful death lawsuit are distributed as follows:
- All damages to the surviving spouse if there are no children
- Half to the surviving spouse and half to the surviving children
- All damages to the children if there is no surviving spouse
- All damages are shared by the victim’s parents if there is no spouse or children
If the victim has no close surviving family members, the damages belong to the estate and are subject to distribution under Kentucky’s intestate laws.
Decades of Experience Advocating for Families in All Types of Bowling Green Wrongful Death Cases
Any accident or act of violence has the potential to be deadly if the circumstances are right. If you’ve recently experienced the tragic death of a family member due to negligence or misconduct, Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC is here to help you fight for justice.
Our Bowling Green wrongful death attorneys advocate for clients in cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Negligent security
- Assault
- Sexual assault
- Matters of premises liability
- Nursing home abuse
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injuries
- Matters of product liability
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burns
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Other catastrophic injuries
Having an experienced legal representative in your corner can make a huge difference as you pursue compensation after a loved one’s death. At Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC, we have over 100 years of collective experience and an unrivaled knowledge of Kentucky’s wrongful death law. Let us put the full force and resources of our law firm behind your case. Contact us today to learn more.
How Long Will I Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim After a Fatal Accident in Kentucky?
Once a family member is killed in a fatal Kentucky accident, you’ll have a limited time to file a wrongful death lawsuit. The statute of limitations for wrongful death cases is typically one year (with some exceptions).
The one-year deadline begins to run on the date of a victim’s death, which might be after the date of their fatal accident.
It’s important to be mindful of the ticking clock. Once the statute of limitations expires, you’ll lose the opportunity to bring a claim against those responsible for your loss.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded in a Kentucky Wrongful Death Claim?
Wrongful death lawsuits are intended to benefit a victim’s surviving family members. As a result, the types of damages that can be awarded differ from those that can be awarded in other types of personal injury cases.
Kentucky law allows the personal representative to seek both economic and non-economic damages for:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Medical bills paid prior to the victim’s death
- Loss of financial support, including wages, benefits, and other income
- Loss of the victim’s household support
- Loss of companionship, care, and parental guidance
- Loss of consortium
The state also allows the personal representative to seek damages that the victim would have been able to pursue if they’d survived, including pain and suffering and other non-economic awards. However, these damages are only available if the victim survives their injuries for a period of time after their injuries are sustained.
Punitive damages can also potentially be awarded in Kentucky wrongful death cases. If a wrongful death makes it to trial, a jury has the discretion to award punitive damages if there’s evidence of oppression, fraud, or malice.
Can Comparative Negligence Affect My Kentucky Wrongful Death Case?
Yes. Kentucky’s pure comparative negligence law applies to most types of personal injury cases, including matters of wrongful death.
Under the state’s law, a victim’s shared responsibility affects their ability to recover damages in a legal claim. Damages are reduced proportionately to fault. So, your family member’s comparative negligence will be a factor when calculating how much your wrongful death case is worth.
Let’s say your spouse was killed in a Bowling Green car accident. They’re assigned 10 percent of the blame for the fatal crash. If your case is valued at $1,000,000, you will recover a maximum award of $900,000 once shared fault is taken into consideration.
Your loved one isn’t around to defend themselves. They’re not here to tell their version of events. Our wrongful death lawyers in Bowling Green will make sure their good name is not tarnished.
We’ll be ready to dispute allegations of shared fault and fight to protect your ability to get the full financial award you need and deserve.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Bowling Green Wrongful Death Lawyer
You deserve justice if you’ve lost a family member in Bowling Green, KY because someone else was negligent. Turn to the trusted legal team at Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC for help making things right.
Money won’t bring your loved one back, but it can provide incredible relief as you figure out a path forward. Our Bowling Green wrongful death lawyers have over a century of combined experience handling tough cases like yours. We’ve recovered more than $1 billion for our clients. Now, we’re here to fight for you.
Contact our law office serving Bowling Green today at (859) 550-2900 to set a time for your free case evaluation.