Whether they result from a car accident, an accidental poisoning, or an injury in the workplace, wrongful deaths are never easy to wrap your head around. It’s not necessarily murder or manslaughter, but that death was still caused by the action or inaction of another party. What are the most common types of wrongful deaths?
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Most car, truck, and motorcycle accidents occur due to the negligence of at least one of the drivers. Driving under the influence, texting behind the wheel, and general recklessness can be fatal. If a driver collided with another vehicle or pedestrian while not following the rules of the road, you may have some recourse with a wrongful death suit.
Product Defects
We often hear about baby equipment such as cribs and car seats being recalled. Manufacturers take those extra safety precautions seriously because a defective crib could cause fatal harm to the infant sleeping in it. Other common defective products include kitchen appliances, auto parts, and medical devices such as defibrillators.
Medical Malpractice
Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing, but unfortunate outcomes still happen. A distracted or negligent doctor can provide subpar or ineffective care, whether through misdiagnosis or the wrong type of treatment. Errors in surgery and birth injuries that prove fatal can also leave the physician liable for a wrongful death lawsuit for malpractice.
Accidental Overdoses
Related to the above, physicians and patients alike should take extra care with prescription medication. Fentanyl overdoses are, unfortunately, common accidents when the dosing instructions are unclear or if the prescriber did not explain how to use the drug properly.
Overdoses don’t always leave the doctor on the hook, though. If a person overdoses on an illegal narcotic in somebody else’s home or place of business, the owner could be held liable for what happened under their roof.
Workplace Accidents
Jobs that deal with heavy machinery pose an extra risk of injury or death. Agricultural, auto repair, and warehouse jobs often involve dangerous machinery and require extra care. However, even with the most careful preparation, accidents still happen, and they’re occasionally fatal.
Furthermore, any situation in which an employer puts an employee in a dangerous situation can leave the employer liable for what happens. For instance, a nurse who was forced to work multiple 12-hour shifts in a row may get into a fatal car accident on the way home because of her exhaustion. That would leave her employer liable for her death.
Wrongful death comes in many forms. The liable party doesn’t need to be acting out of malice to be on the hook for someone’s sudden death. The most common types of wrongful deaths are often accidents—but someone must still be held accountable.
