In the State of Florida, the life of a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian can literally end in a moment in time as a result of a truck accident. Florida is a hub of commercial commerce through most towns, cities, and metropolitan areas and also through rural areas. In just about every community, there has been a ripple effect caused by the untimely and preventable death of victims in a trucking accident. Florida has a specific statute in place that deals with wrongful death laws, rules, and procedures. You can find the various statutes in Chapter 768 of the Florida Statutes. These laws define who can bring forth a wrongful death case and which relatives qualify as statutory survivors in the aftermath of a Jacksonville truck accident wrongful death case or similar incident causing the death of a victim. There are some special laws contained in these statutes. For instance, a minor child is defined as a child under the age of 30 years old. For example, let's say that a 48 year old woman dies as a result of an automobile accident. At the time of the accident, she was divorced. She was survived by two children. One child was 17 years old at the time of the woman's death. The other child was 22 years old. Even though the 22 year old is defined as an adult under most Florida laws, the 22 year old qualifies as a statutory survivor under the Florida Wrongful Death Act. The 17 year old child also qualifies as a statutory survivor and can also pursue damages related to the wrongful death of his mother.
Damages in a Florida Wrongful Death Act work a bit differently than the damages associated with a personal injury case in which the victim survived the crash. The focus of the damages in a wrongful death case center around the loss of the survivor rather than the death or pain and suffering of the decedent (the person who died). In evaluating the damages or value of the case, there are a number of factors considered including but not limited to the age of the decedent at the time of death, the age of the survivors, the quality of the relationship between the decedent and the statutory survivors, and other factors. A Florida wrongful death case resulting from a Florida truck accident can be quite complicated. Insurance companies and trucking companies often do not offer the true or full value of a case without a battle and often require the time, expense, and skill of litigation.
David Wolf is a Jacksonville truck accident death lawyer with over 30 years of experience. He has handled cases throughout the State of Florida from the Florida Keys through North Florida through the Panhandle. David Wolf firmly believes in Giving a Voice to Injury Victims and Their Families. David Wolf is the author of 12 books that focus on personal injury matters including the book titled - Big Trucks - Big Problems - When a Truck Driver Wrecks Your Day and Your Life - Legal Right of the Injury Victim and Family. The book covers a variety of topics including those associated with a wrongful death case. You can get this book for free by completing the form on the Contact Us page of this website. Contact David Wolf today for a Free Consultation. Get D Wolf - On Your Side - At Your Side.