The Help You Need After An Accident

Having an accident which impacts on your life is stressful. When you are trying to cover medical costs and need to take time off work to recover, it is important that you know what your financial options are. Personal injury attorneys help people who have been through an accident and now seek recourse from the other person who caused it. Before you meet with a personal injury attorney, there are details you need to gather so the attorney can help you with your case. These posts are all about what accident and personal injury attorneys do, what they need from you, and the different situations where using one is beneficial to your lifestyle.

Dos and Don'ts When Settling with a Hospice over a Wrongful Death

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When a patient enters hospice care, he or she typically only has six months left to live. However, this doesn't mean that hospice care cannot be responsible for the patient's death. In fact, 20% of those who enter hospice care recover enough to be discharged. If you have a family member who passed away due to the negligence of hospice staff, there are several dos and don'ts to follow.

Do Hire a Wrongful Death Attorney with Experience in Similar Cases

The perfect attorney would be one who has handled a wrongful death case involving hospice care in the past. He or she will be aware of common tactics used by a hospice such as:

  • Hiding medical records
  • Refusing to communicate
  • Submitting false information to authorities
  • Writing visit forms when visits never occurred
  • Harassing or intimidating employees who speak out

Any wrongful death case can be very complex and you should not handle it yourself if you do not have a legal background and a background in medicine. 

Do Gather Evidence Quickly

 A wrongful death case usually has a statute of limitations that begins as soon as your loved one passes away. You will need to do a lot of paperwork and gather important documents such as your loved one's death certificate. If your loved one passed away due to the administration of the wrong medication, you may need to obtain records of a past medical condition that was exacerbated by administering the wrong medication.

Don't Be Impatient

Wrongful death cases, especially those involving medical malpractice, can take a long time because there is so much evidence to sift through. Your attorney must also locate and work with medical experts. However, if you are working with a great attorney, you will feel that your case is a priority and you will have met with your attorney several times face-to-face to discuss your case.

Do Consider Settling

A trial has several disadvantages:

  1. Trials are very slow
  2. You may be forced to pay for the defendant's attorney fees
  3. You must pay for courtroom fees
  4. There is no guarantee that you will win
  5. The judge or jury has the final say
  6. The jury can be swayed by arguments based on emotion

While trials are sometimes unavoidable, you should always seek to settle a wrongful death case out of court.

Don't Settle Too Early

Regardless of whether you negotiate with an insurance provider or a defendant, he or she will have an incentive to settle early and for the lowest amount possible. Instead, you will need to speak with a wrongful death attorney who will help you calculate how much your settlement should be worth.

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2 June 2020