Many people in the area each year die of natural causes, but some perish because of situations that could have been avoided. In certain such cases, criminal charges will be filed against an involved party, with convictions for murder, manslaughter or involuntary homicide sometimes following.
Seeing someone responsible for the death of a loved one put behind bars can be a source of consolation for the surviving family members. At the same time, there are other ways of using the legal system to ensure that a needless, avoidable death will not go unaddressed.
The civil court system allows designated representatives of a deceased person to file suit for “wrongful death” in many such cases. By working with a wrongful death lawyer, Whidbey Island WA residents who have lost loved ones in such circumstances can pursue compensation.
Civil Wrongful Death Actions Succeed Significantly More Often Than Related Criminal Prosecutions
Attorneys like those at Allen Law Firm regularly help their clients prevail in civil court even where an associated criminal case did not result in a conviction. As many know, the American legal system is designed to make securing a criminal conviction relatively difficult, with the innocence of the person charged being presumed in most situations.
On the other hand, civil courts maintain lower standards of evidence and proof than those that prevail in the criminal system. It will normally only be necessary for a wrongful death lawyer Whidbey Island WA residents engage to show that a “preponderance of the evidence” points to the culpability of the defendant in a civil action.
As a result, civil wrongful death suits frequently succeed even where criminal trials failed to return a verdict of guilty. Because of this, it will frequently be worthwhile for family members of a deceased person to get in touch with a local attorney even where a criminal case has already been concluded.
Local Lawyers are Ready to Assess Wrongful Death Cases
Fortunately, it never needs to be difficult to have an attorney look into and assess the details of a case. All that it will normally take will be to visit the website of such a lawyer or place a phone call in order to make an appointment.
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