What Are the Most Common Causes of Wrongful Death?

by | Mar 1, 2023 | Motor vehicle accidents, Personal Injury

It is a tragedy that everyone wishes to avoid, yet it is especially heartbreaking when death occurs due to wrongful happenings. These deaths are often preventable, as they are caused by someone else’s negligent, reckless, or intentional actions.

In order to raise awareness about the severity of such a situation, it is essential to understand the most common causes of wrongful deaths. Let us explore this topic in greater detail.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

The most typical instance of wrongful deaths comes from car, truck, or bike accidents resulting from gross negligence or reckless behavior, such as drunk or distracted driving.

Car accidents in themselves are very common, as it amounts to approximately 1.3 million deaths worldwide, reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). A worrying percentage of these deaths are the result of wrongful or negligent acts.

Medical Malpractice

In 2018, CNBC reported that more than 250,000 people from the US die every year due to medical errors. According to them, it is also the third highest cause of death, only after heart disease and cancer.

Medical malpractice that includes misdiagnosis of ailments, grave surgical errors, and failure to provide the appropriate standard of care, results in the demise of the patient.

Workplace Related Accidents

Many jobs in the world are life-threatening and reserved for the bravest. In these cases, a person can come in contact with obstacles every day. But it is considered a wrongful death when a worker dies from reasons that could have been avoided, such as hazardous working conditions, the use of defective equipment, or a lack of safety protocol.

Criminal Acts

Wrongful death caused by criminal acts refers to situations when someone dies because of the violent deeds of another person who has committed a crime. This includes homicide, assault, or other brutal acts, such as if someone dies because of a robbery gone wrong or a physical altercation. In those cases, their loved ones can file for a wrongful death lawsuit against the perpetrator, and sometimes against the owner of the property where the act occurred.

Defective Products

Here, wrongful death is when someone dies because of toxic or defective products such as cosmetics, medical devices. or pharmaceuticals. This includes somebody using faulty skin care products and contracting a fatal disease or using faulty tires which then lead to a bicycle accident.

Nursing Home Abuse

This is another case where someone in the care of a nursing home loses their life because of the neglect of the caregivers.

Aviation Accidents

When it comes to aviation accidents, such as when a plane crashes, a case of wrongful death will be considered if someone dies because of the pilot’s or the equipment’s error.

These are just a few examples of the most frequent causes of wrongful deaths. If you suspect that someone you love has died as a result of another party’s carelessness, the capable attorneys of Collins Law can help you out. For further information, contact us at 318-626-7300 or fill out our online form and schedule your free initial consultation today. We will leave no stone unturned to make sure you get the justice you deserve.

 

 

 

 

 

"The information on this website is for general purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute an attorney-client relationship."