Professional trucking is a dangerous job. Truckers drive billions of miles each year on dangerous highways where the risk of death is always present. Unfortunately, hundreds of truckers die each year in highway accidents and while loading, unloading, or maintaining their trucks. The unexpected death of a loved one is a tragic event. Money cannot replace the life of a loved one, but money can provide the trucker’s family with financial security in the future.
If the death occurred as a result of a work related accident, the trucker’s family may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits are paid whether or not the employer was at fault (or negligent) for causing the death.
If the death was caused by the negligence of someone other than the trucker’s employer, the law allows the trucker’s family to recover monetary damages in a lawsuit known as a “wrongful death” action. Wrongful death actions may be brought where the death occurred as result of a highway accident, medical negligence, unsafe products, unsafe property, or any other circumstance where someone was negligent.
In addition to compensating the victim’s family, a wrongful death lawsuit helps to make unsafe companies and individuals act in a safe and more responsible manner to prevent tragedies in the future. There is a clear statute of limitations for wrongful death claims and for other claims, so you should contact an attorney as soon as possible.