Nothing can prepare you for the almost unbearable grief of losing someone you cherish because of another person’s negligence or wrongdoing. At Dr. Ted Injury Law, our lawyers understand the tremendous pain families endure during these dark moments. While nothing can bring your loved one back, we are here to fight for the compensation and accountability you deserve.
What makes us stand apart? Our founder, Dr. Ted A. Greve, has a medical background as a licensed chiropractor and now practices law exclusively. His medical training allows him to understand the true scope of what happened to your family member in ways many attorneys simply cannot. This insight helps us build stronger cases and fight harder for your loved one’s honor.
Don’t face this battle alone. Call the Lawyer Who’s Also a Doctor today for a free consultation with an experienced North Carolina wrongful death lawyer. Our law firm charges nothing to start working on your wrongful death lawsuit, and there are no fees unless we win your case.
How a North Carolina Attorney Can Help with Your Wrongful Death Claim
A skilled North Carolina wrongful death attorney from Dr. Ted Injury Law can provide the legal strength and compassionate support your family needs during this overwhelming time. Grieving families shouldn’t have to battle aggressive insurance companies and defense lawyers who refuse to pay the compensation you need to move forward.
Our legal team brings over 100 years of combined experience to every wrongful death case. We’ll handle all the complex legal work so you can focus on healing and supporting each other through this tragedy. We can thoroughly investigate the events that led to your loved one’s death, gather compelling evidence that proves responsibility, and calculate the actual value of your family’s losses.
Dr. Ted’s medical expertise gives our wrongful death law firm significant advantages over other legal teams across North Carolina. He can review medical records with the trained eye of a healthcare professional, understand how specific injuries cause death, and explain complicated medical concepts to juries using clear, understandable language. This medical knowledge strengthens our ability to prove negligence and demonstrate the full extent of your loved one’s suffering.
Our attorneys can handle all communications with insurance companies, meet every legal deadline, and fight relentlessly to secure every dollar your family deserves. You pay nothing unless we obtain the compensation your family needs to move forward. Contact our law firm today to speak with a wrongful death attorney in North Carolina. Your case review is free and fully confidential.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Wrongful Death?
Multiple parties often share responsibility for causing a preventable death. The person who directly caused your loved one’s death represents the most obvious defendant, but frequently others bear legal responsibility as well.
For example, in motor vehicle crashes, the negligent driver faces liability, but their employer might also be responsible if the driver was working when the accident occurred. Restaurants and bars can face lawsuits for over-serving intoxicated patrons who later cause fatal crashes. Even government agencies could be liable for failing to repair dangerous road conditions.
Healthcare malpractice cases typically involve several defendants. These could include the doctor who made the fatal error, the hospital that employed them, the nurses who failed to catch the mistake, and other medical professionals who provided substandard care. Nursing facilities face responsibility not only for direct elder abuse but also for hiring unqualified staff or failing to provide adequate supervision and care to your loved one.
Manufacturing companies, wholesale distributors, and retail stores can all face liability when defective products lead to death. Construction firms, property owners, and maintenance contractors may share responsibility for fatal workplace incidents. Even criminals who intentionally harm your loved one can face civil lawsuits in addition to criminal prosecution.
What Types of Compensation Could Be Available in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Your legal team can pursue multiple categories of wrongful death compensation to help your family rebuild after this profound loss.
- Medical Bills – Every healthcare expense from the initial injury through your loved one’s final moments, including ambulance transport, emergency treatment, surgeries, hospital care, and prescription medications
- Funeral Expenses – Complete costs for honoring your loved one’s memory with dignity, including funeral services, burial or cremation, casket or urn, and memorial gatherings
- Lost Earnings – All income your loved one would have earned throughout their expected lifetime, including salary increases, bonuses, retirement contributions, and employment benefits
- Household Contributions – The monetary value of all services your loved one provided to the family, from childcare and cooking to home maintenance and financial management
- Pain and Suffering – Compensation for the physical pain and emotional distress your loved one endured before passing away
- Loss of Companionship – Payment for the loss of your loved one’s love, emotional support, guidance, and presence
- Punitive Damages – Additional money awarded by the court, designed to punish defendants when their behavior was particularly reckless or intentional
How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in North Carolina?
The North Carolina wrongful death statute of limitations is the state law that gives families a maximum of two years from the date of death to file their wrongful death lawsuit. This deadline remains firm in almost every situation; missing it means losing your right to seek compensation, regardless of how strong your case might be.
Two years might seem like adequate time, but building a compelling case requires many months of detailed preparation. The earlier you contact Dr. Ted Injury Law, the more thoroughly we can develop your case and protect your family’s legal rights.
How Are Wrongful Death Settlements Paid Out?
Families who are looking for financial stability during such a difficult period often wonder, “How are wrongful death settlements paid out?” Most settlements arrive as a single lump-sum payment. However, some situations involve structured settlements, which distribute money in installments over several years.
The estate’s personal representative receives the settlement funds, but this money doesn’t become part of the estate itself. Instead, the North Carolina wrongful death statute determines distribution based on which family members survive the deceased person. The compensation flows directly to the wrongful death beneficiaries in North Carolina without going through the probate process.
What Do You Have to Prove in a Wrongful Death Case?
To win your lawsuit, our wrongful death lawyers in North Carolina must prove that the defendant’s actions were negligent or that their wrongdoing was intentional. This might mean proving they drove while intoxicated, made a critical medical error, or ignored known safety hazards.
Then, we must show that these actions directly caused your loved one’s death with a clear connection between the negligent behavior and the fatal outcome. Dr. Ted’s medical background proves especially helpful in establishing this by explaining precisely how the defendant’s actions led to death.
Finally, we must prove your family suffered real losses from this death, including financial hardship, emotional trauma, and the irreplaceable loss of your loved one’s presence in your lives.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in North Carolina?
North Carolina law has strict requirements for who can initiate a wrongful death legal action. Unlike other states, where family members can file directly, North Carolina requires the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate to file the claim.
If your loved one created a will, it likely designates someone with legal authority to file the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of all beneficiaries (they’re known as a personal representative or an executor). When no will exists or the named person cannot serve, the court will appoint someone, typically the surviving spouse or an adult child.
The personal representative doesn’t hold on to the settlement money for themselves. Instead, they file the lawsuit for the benefit of specific family members determined by state law. Even though the representative gets the case started, the compensation goes to surviving family members according to the following North Carolina distribution rules:
- Surviving spouses with no children receive the entire settlement.
- Children with no surviving parent split the money equally among themselves.
- When both the spouse and children survive, they divide the compensation according to state law.
- Parents, siblings, and other relatives only receive money when no spouse or children survive the deceased.
What Are the More Common Wrongful Death Cases?
Our legal team handles numerous types of fatal accidents and incidents across North Carolina, the most typical of which include the following:
- Motor vehicle accidents make up the highest number of wrongful death claims, particularly those involving impaired driving, distracted driving, or large commercial vehicles.
- Healthcare malpractice causes many preventable deaths through misdiagnosis, surgical mistakes, medication errors, or complications during childbirth.
- Workplace fatalities claim construction workers, manufacturing employees, and others in hazardous occupations when employers fail to follow safety regulations.
- Nursing home negligence leads to elderly residents dying from preventable falls, malnutrition, dehydration, untreated medical conditions, or medication mistakes.
- Dangerous products ranging from vehicles with defective safety systems to contaminated food products can cause unexpected yet preventable deaths.
- Property-related incidents occur when people die from slip-and-fall accidents, inadequate security measures, or hazardous building conditions.
- Violent crimes, including assault, homicide, or impaired driving, can result in both criminal prosecution and civil wrongful death claims.
Contact a North Carolina Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
Have you lost a loved one because someone else chose to be careless? If you need guidance on pursuing a wrongful death claim, reach out to Dr. Ted Injury Law today. Our team of North Carolina wrongful death attorneys combines medical expertise with legal excellence to get you maximum compensation. We’ll answer your questions, review your options, and support you in seeking the justice your family deserves.
We’re prepared to take on those responsible for your loved one’s death and hold them fully accountable, and we charge you nothing until we win. Call the Lawyer Who’s Also a Doctor today for a free, no-obligation consultation. There are no out-of-pocket costs for us to get started on your case, and you pay nothing unless we successfully resolve your matter.
Don’t be misled — call Dr. Ted!
