Funeral Costs after a Truck Accident – Who Will Pay?

Did a member of your family recently lose his or her life in a truck accident? Truck accidents have a significantly higher fatality rate than other types of vehicular accidents. This is because trucks are larger and heavier than other vehicles; in a crash, the force is much greater. Therefore, injuries are likely to be severe – and often fatal.

Truck accidents can happen at any time. Although it is possible for truck accidents to be caused by the negligence of the drivers of regular passenger vehicles, it is also likely for truck accidents to be directly caused by the negligence of truck drivers; additionally, truck accidents can also be associated with the pressure that employers put on their truck driver. Regardless of the situation, it is possible that the truck accident that took the life of your loved one was associated with the negligence of the truck driver.

If a member of your family lost his or her life in a truck accident, you and the rest of your family are likely devastated. In addition to dealing with the grief of suddenly losing someone you love, you might also be stressed with having to plan a funeral and having to find out how to pay for all the expenses related to the funeral.

If the death of your loved one can be associated with the negligent actions of a truck driver or their employer, you might have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim; this means that funeral expenses could be covered by the compensation that you receive if your claim is successful. Are you interested in learning more about your right to pursue a wrongful death claim for the death of your family member in a truck accident? If so, contact the experts at our firm today.

You can trust the wrongful death experts at our firm to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. Our lawyers have many years of experience handling all sorts of wrongful death claims, including but not limited to the claims arising from fatal truck accidents. Our lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. If you are interested in learning more about your right to sue and recover compensation for funeral expenses among other things, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.

Why Are Truck Accidents So Dangerous?
Truck accidents are among the most dangerous types of vehicular accidents. Why are these incidents so dangerous? Truck accidents are often severe for a number of reasons, including the following:

• Trucks are bigger than normal passenger vehicles
• Trucks are heavier than normal passenger vehicles and are typically carrying a heavy load
• Trucks need a longer distance to come to a stop or slow down

Some of the Causes Behind Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can occur for a number of reasons, most of which are associated with the negligence of truck drivers or their employers. Consider some of the common causes of truck accidents listed below:

• Truck drivers driving under the influence
• Truck drivers ignoring traffic rules and signals
• Truck drivers speeding or tailgating
• Employers failing to drug test their employees
• Employers failing to conduct background checks on their truck drivers
• Employers rushing their truck drivers to meet deadlines
• Employers forcing truck drivers to work long hours without breaks
• Employers failing to maintain their trucks to ensure safety while on the road

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Who Is Liable for Truck Accidents?

Who is liable for the truck accident that killed a member of your family? Liability depends on the following: a duty of care, a breach of duty, cause, and harm. Truck drivers owe all other drivers on the road a duty of care. Similarly, employers (whether they are trucking companies, delivery companies, or other companies that require truck drivers) have a duty of care as well; essentially, they have a duty to ensure that their employees are safe while working, which means that they must train their employees, ensure that they are safe while on the road, and ensure that their vehicles are safe to be on the road. If a breach of duty occurs resulting in an accident, either the driver or the employer could be liable. In some circumstances, the employer could even be liable for the actions of the employee based on vicarious liability. Who is liable for the wrongful death of a member of your family? If you are interested in learning more about establishing liability for the death of your loved one in a truck accident, contact the experts at our firm today.

Your Right to File a Wrongful Death Claim

If a member of your family died in a truck accident, you could be eligible to pursue a wrongful death claim. However, you must meet certain conditions (based on California law) to be able to file a wrongful death claim.

For instance, only the following parties can file a wrongful death claim:

• The victim’s surviving spouse
• The victim’s surviving domestic partner
• The victim’s children

However, if none of the parties listed above are living, any party who would be eligible to receive property based on intestate succession could pursue the wrongful death claim. These people include the following:

• The victim’s parents
• The victim’s siblings

Additionally, given that they can prove that they were financially dependent on the decedent, the following parties could also be eligible to pursue a wrongful death claim:

• The victim’s putative spouse (and their children)
• The victim’s stepchildren
• The victim’s parents

If you would like to learn more about whether you are eligible to pursue a wrongful death claim for the death of your family member in a truck accident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately. Our lawyers will guide you every step of the way.

About the Expenses to Expect after the Death of a Loved One

After the death of a member of your family, you will suddenly face a number of expenses associated with the different services required after death. There are a number of fees associated with all of the following: purchasing a burial plot; purchasing a casket; purchasing a tombstone; purchasing an earn; cremation; viewing services; memorial services. Additionally, there are also costs to pick up and transport the body (which can occur more than once), preparing the body for the funeral, and even paying the funeral director and staff.

Overall, funeral costs can be as low as $7,000; however, it is common for costs to be closer to the $12,000 mark. Depending on the options that the family chooses, the cost could be much higher. If you are interested in learning more about the different expenses that you and your family should expect, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm today.

Who Pays for Funeral Expenses after a Truck Accident?

You might be relieved to know that you might not have to worry about covering all the costs of the funeral. More specifically, if the truck accident was determined to be the fault of the truck driver or even the employer, the employer could be liable for paying. Most companies that have commercial trucks for delivering or transporting products are required to have insurance coverage (some trucks are required to be covered with up to $5 million policies based on what is being transported as well as the size/weight of the truck). If you pursue a wrongful death claim that is ultimately successful, all funeral expenses could be covered by the insurance policy covering the truck. If you are interested in learning more about who pays for funeral expenses after a fatal truck accident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm today.

Filing Within the Statute of Limitations

Are you interested in pursuing a wrongful death claim against the party or entity that contributed to the truck accident that killed a member of your family? If so, you must act quickly, as your claim is subject to a strict statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the total length of time that you have to pursue your claim. If you do not file your claim quickly (within the allowed timeline), you can lose your right to sue.

How long do you have to pursue your wrongful death claim? In California, wrongful death claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. This means that claimants only have two years to pursue their claims. If you are interested in learning more about the total length of time that you have to pursue your wrongful death claim for the death of your loved one in a truck accident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience. Our wrongful death attorneys will help you file your claim within the appropriate length of time.

Contact Our Experts Today

Would you like to explore your right to pursue a wrongful death claim resulting from a fatal truck accident? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling a variety of claims – always representing the best interests of our clients. Our knowledgeable lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and help you reach a successful claim outcome to your wrongful death claim. If you would like to discuss your wrongful death claim with the experts at our firm, contact us today.

At our firm, our lawyers are dedicated to providing all victims with the guidance that they need to reach a successful claim outcome. To remain accessible to all affected parties, our firm offers free legal services. Our free legal services include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with all the information that you need to start or continue your claim. Would you like to benefit from our free legal services? If so, contact our firm today – our lawyers will help you every step of the way.

We are committed to ensuring that you can access the legal services that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. We offer a Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients will not be required to pay upfront legal fees to speak with our attorneys. Our firm is also based on a strict contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be required to cover any legal fees until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you do not win, you will simply not be required to pay any legal fees.

Would you like to discuss your wrongful death claim with the experts at our firm? If so, contact us at your earliest convenience for the assistance that you need to pursue your claim.