Did a member of your family lose his or her life in an aviation accident? Aviation accidents, undeniably, are among the most devastating types of incidents that victims and surviving family members as well can possibly experience. After the death of a loved one, regardless of the incident that took his or her life, a number of expenses can arise – leaving surviving family struggling financially while trying to navigate through the grieving process.
If a member of your family was killed in an aviation accident, you might have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim. Are you interested in learning more about the legal options available to you after the death of your loved one? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience. You can trust that our lawyers will fight for your right to be compensation – even for funeral expenses.
You can trust the aviation accident experts at Normandie Law Firm to provide you with the guidance that you need to sue for the death of your loved and fight for your right to recover the compensation that you and the rest of your family are owed. Without a doubt, recovering compensation for funeral expenses or any other losses will not reverse the incident; however, recovering compensation can help relieve some of the financial burden that you suddenly had to face.
Our wrongful death attorneys are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. Our lawyers will evaluate your claim and provide you with all the information that you need to sue. Contact us today to speak with our attorneys and learn more about your right to sue.
Who Is Liable for Aviation Accidents?
Who is liable for the death of your loved one in an aviation accident? Liability generally depends on the details surrounding the incident. Based on the Montreal Convention (mentioned below), the airline could be liable. However, many other parties or entities could be liable.
Consider the following list of the parties or entities which could potentially be liable:
- The pilot or the company that provided the pilot (specifically when the accident is associated with pilot error)
- The owner of the plane (specifically when the accident is associated with an issue in the plane that should have been identified or address)
- The manufacturer of the plane (specifically when the accident is associated with a defect present in the plane)
- The maintenance company (specifically when the accident is associated with a maintenance issue)
- The airport employees (specifically when the accident is associated with an employee mistake, including refueling, for instance)
Based on the details surrounding the incident, many of the parties/entities listed above could share liability for an airplane incident. If you are interested in learning more about establishing liability for the airplane accident that killed a member of your family, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm today.
About the Montreal Convention
The Montreal Convention 1999 (also referred to as MC99) established airline liability in instances of injury or death to passengers, among other things. In other words, if a passenger is harmed on board an airplane, regardless of the nature of the incident, the airline could be liable. Because of the MC99, affected passengers and their families could be eligible to recover compensation for the harm resulted from aviation incidents. That is, if a member of your family died in an aviation accident, you could be eligible to recover monetary compensation from the airline.
Can You File a Wrongful Death Claim?
If a member of your family lost his or her life in an aviation accident, you might be interested in pursuing a wrongful death claim. However, you might be unsure about whether you could pursue a claim; after all, not just anyone could file a wrongful death claim after the death of a loved one. Who can file a claim? Only the following parties can pursue a wrongful death claim:
- The decedent’s surviving spouse
- The decedent’s surviving domestic partner
- The decedent’s surviving children
If you do not fit into any of the categories listed above, but you would be eligible to receive property on the basis of intestate succession (that is, you are the decedent’s parent or sibling), you could also be eligible to pursue a claim. Similarly, if you can prove that you were financially dependent on the decedent (and you are the decedent’s putative spouse, the decedent’s children, or their parents), you could be eligible to file a wrongful death claim.
Although spouses, domestic partners, and children essentially are first in line in regard to having the right to file a wrongful death claim, it is not impossible for other parties to be eligible to sue. If you are interested in learning more about whether you could file a wrongful death claim for the death of your loved one in an aviation accident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm today.
Who Will Pay for Funeral Expenses?
As explained above, there are many parties or entities that could be liable for an aviation accident, including but not limited to airlines, pilots (and the companies that provide the pilots), plane owners, plane manufactures, plain maintenance companies, and airport employees. What does this mean? If a member of your family dies, these parties or entities could be liable; if you successfully pursue a claim, you could be compensated – that is, funeral expenses could be covered. If you would like to learn more about who will pay for funeral expenses after the death of a member of your family, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm today.
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The Expenses that Arise after Fatal Incidents
After the death of a loved one, many expenses will arise that could lead to financial distress. The expenses are related to the services or costs with death services, including the following:
- Burial plots, caskets, and tombstones
- Urns and cremation fees
- Viewing and memorial services
- Transporting and preparing the body
- Services provided by funeral directors and their staff members
Overall, surviving family could expect to pay upwards of $7,000 in funeral expenses and other related costs. Without a doubt, these costs could represent a significant dent in a family’s savings; if they do not have the funds to pay these expenses, they could have no other option but to take out loans and get into debt.
File Your Claim Quickly – The Statute of Limitations
Without a doubt, you could be eligible to pursue a wrongful death claim and recover compensation for funeral expenses among other things after the death of your loved one in an aviation accident. However, if you fail to act within a specific length of time, you could lose your right to sue. This is because all wrongful death claims are subject to a statute of limitations. The statute of limitations determines the total length of time that claimants have to pursue their claims; if claimants fail to file their claims on time, they will lose their right to sue.
What deadline applies to your wrongful death claim? In California, wrongful death claims are normally subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants only have two years to file their claims. Are you interested in learning more about the total length of time that you have to pursue your claim? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.
Contact Normandie Law Firm Today
At our firm, we understand the struggles associated with suddenly losing a loved one. We also acknowledge the stress that could be added by just the thought of having to go through a legal process; therefore, we are dedicated to making things as simple as possible for you and your family. Our firm offers free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will answer all your questions and address all your concerns. They will provide you with all the information that you need to pursue your claim and reach a successful claim outcome. These legal services are available as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients will not be required to pay upfront legal fees for our legal services. In addition, our firm is based on contingency; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome (if you do not win, you will not be responsible for paying legal expenses).
Our wrongful death lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to hold liable parties or entities accountable for the death of your loved one. Are you ready to discuss your claim with the experts at our firm? If so, contact us at your earliest convenience.
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