Prattville, Alabama Wrongful Death Lawyer
Prattville, Alabama is a professional-class community. People here are educated, and hard-working. Chip Nix has served this community for decades. If your loved one has experienced a wrongful death in Prattville or the surrounding area, contact our seasoned law firm.
If you plan to file a claim, under Alabama law, you have two years from the time of death to file the action. Your Alabama wrongful death attorney will send a letter to the other side to preserve evidence related to the accident that took your loved one’s life.
You can reach Attorney at Law Chip Nix immediately after the accident in his Montgomery office at (334) 203-6669 to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Prattville Alabama Wrongful Death
In Alabama, wrongful death is defined as death caused by the “wrongful act, omission or negligence of another.” Many of those lives lost could have been prevented if someone had acted responsibly.
On our roadways, automobile, motorcycle, and trucking accidents are common causes of wrongful death.
I-65 is one of just four highways that bring visitors to and from Prattville. It intersects with State Road 14, US 85, and US 31. US Route 82 connects Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.
Visitors are drawn to Prattville because it’s a popular golf destination. The Capitol Hill Golf Courses was featured on the LPGA tour from 2007 through 2012. The 2014 event is now the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. Visitors to Prattville also attend the Stanley-Jensen Stadium to watch football and soccer.
Whether drawn to Prattville because of its attractions or not, the state ranks third in the highest number of automobile fatalities in the United States.
The last traffic statistics from the Alabama Department of Transportation showed in 2020; there were 932 people killed in 853 fatal crashes. For every fatality, there were approximately 40 injuries.
Almost half of the fatal crashes (48%) occurred at night, and most fatalities (62%) occurred in rural areas.
Due to texting while driving, fatalities behind the wheel have increased, making them 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver, according to state DOT statistics.
Most commuters spend at least 30 minutes a day on the roads. The law office of attorney Chip Nix is here to protect your rights whether you live in Prattville, Montgomery, or any of the surrounding areas of Alabama.
Causes of Wrongful Death
Negligence is how we identify wrongful death cases in the state. Alabama law focuses on the wrongdoing of the at-fault party.
Your Alabama personal injury attorney will need to show that the defendant owed you a duty of care on the road and that he breached that duty. That is what caused your loved one’s damage and death.
Negligence is defined as determining whether the actions taken were those of a reasonable person.
- Was the at-fault driver going too fast?
- Did the doctor have any training in the procedure he was attempting?
- Was the truck driver trained in operating a vehicle of that size?
Reckless behavior can result from:
- Car, Motorcycle, or Truck accidents
- Product liability – An everyday product can be unsafe even though it is on the market.
- Workplace injury
- Industrial accidents
- Falls
- Boating accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Drowning
- A defective premises
Seeking Recovery for Wrongful Death
Compensation will not make up for the loss of a loved one, but in a wrongful death claim, for example, compensation will help those dependents left behind.
Punitive damages are designed to prevent a repeat of reckless behavior that led to the loss of life. While other states allow the family members to seek the cost of medical treatment, a funeral, and lost wages, Alabama limits compensatory damages to a punitive award. This put the focus on the wrongdoing of the defendant.
It is the only state to do so, adding difficulty to grief during this time of loss. The deceased’s estate will be the party seeking compensation for the death.
Not only the driver or owner of the place where the accident happened but occasionally, there are third parties that may have contributed to the death. The trucking company may have loaded a truck incorrectly, causing it to jackknife, or the open holes in a construction area were supposed to be covered by a third party that failed to do its job.
At the Law Offices of Chip Nix, we will look for all of the responsible parties that may share in causing the wrongful death.
Alabama Wrongful Death Compensation
Personal Injury Attorney Chip Nix has spent four decades seeking accountability from the wrongdoer who committed the reckless act that led to the death of another.
This is not the time to go it alone. Wrongful death laws are complicated, and the insurer for the other side will try to blame the deceased for his own loss of life.
Having an aggressive and compassionate representative who has your back during this difficult time will help your family bring closure to this tragic loss sooner and with some resolution.
This is particularly important if the life lost was the breadwinner for the family. If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence and reckless behavior of another person in Prattville or anywhere in Alabama, allow the compassionate experience of Attorney Chip Nix, to help you through this difficult time. Call his office to arrange a meeting at (334) 203-6669.
Sources:
Nolo
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/wrongful-death-lawsuits-alabama.html
AL DOT
https://www.dot.state.al.us/
