Brunswick Wrongful Death Attorneys

Are You in Need of a Brunswick, Georgia Wrongful Death Attorney?

We know what you're going through right now is unimaginably painful. Losing someone you love leaves a hole that nothing can fill, especially when their death shouldn't have happened at all. If you're here in Brunswick trying to make sense of it all, please know you don't have to face this alone. A caring Brunswick wrongful death lawyer from our team at Butler Prather LLP is ready to stand beside you.

We get it—no lawsuit can bring back your loved one. But there's something meaningful about holding those responsible accountable and making sure your family doesn't suffer financially on top of everything else. Our Brunswick personal injury attorneys have walked this difficult path with many families just like yours. We're here to handle the legal headaches while you focus on what really matters: taking care of yourself and your family during this heartbreaking time.

Why Choose Us Over Other Wrongful Death Lawyers in Brunswick?

When you're dealing with loss, the last thing you need is to worry about choosing the right legal help. What makes our Brunswick wrongful death lawyers different? We truly listen. Your story matters to us, and we'll fight for your family like it's our own.

With 35+ years of experience and a track record of helping families across 30+ states, Butler Prather LLP has the resources and tenacity of a big firm with the personal touch of a family friend. Our wrongful death law firm has secured record-breaking settlements, including 10 judgments over $100 million and 200+ settlements exceeding $1 million.

But numbers aside, it's the care we show each client that truly sets us apart. You're not just another case to us.

Butler Prather LLP: Wrongful Death Law Firm in Brunswick

• Nationwide success: Our firm has successfully represented clients in more than 30 states across the U.S.
• Decades of proven experience: Established in 1988, Butler Prather LLP brings over 35 years of litigation and trial experience to each wrongful death case.
• Historic verdicts: We have set multiple records, including securing the largest collected judgment in U.S. history. Our results include 10 judgments exceeding $100 million, over 60 settlements and verdicts surpassing $10 million, and more than 200 results exceeding $1 million.
• Renowned leadership: Founding partner James E. Butler Jr. has been recognized by Super Lawyers based on peer evaluations and independent research, and he has received prestigious honors such as the State Bar of Georgia’s Tradition of Excellence Award.
• Committed to community: Attorneys at our firm have actively served on the Georgia Board of Natural Resources and held prominent positions in various local, state, and national bar associations and charitable organizations.
• Client-focused approach: We provide free consultations and represent clients on a contingency-fee basis, meaning we only get paid when you recover compensation.
• Personalized representation: At Butler Prather LLP, every client receives dedicated attention, direct attorney access, and customized legal strategies tailored to their unique circumstances.

Honor Your Loved One's Memory by Seeking the Justice They Deserve—Call Us Today at (706) 322-1990 for a Free Consultation

Do I Have a Wrongful Death Case?

You're probably wondering if what happened to your loved one qualifies as a wrongful death case. First and foremost, no one should have to go through what you're experiencing right now. But if you are, you should know if you’re legally allowed to pursue justice.

In simple terms, a wrongful death case exists when someone dies because of another person's careless, reckless, or deliberate actions. As your Brunswick wrongful death law firm, we can tell you these cases often stem from situations like:

• A distracted driver who runs a red light while texting
• A surgeon who makes a critical error during a routine procedure
• A property owner who ignores dangerous conditions that lead to a fatal fall
• A manufacturer who cuts corners on safety features to save money
• A trucking company that pushes drivers beyond safe hours on the road
• A daycare that fails to properly supervise children near water
• A pharmaceutical company that hides dangerous side effects of a medication
• A boat operator who drives recklessly or while intoxicated
• A contractor who ignores building codes, leading to structural failure
• A nursing home that understaffs, resulting in fatal neglect of residents
• A doctor who misdiagnoses a treatable condition until it's too late

What makes these cases especially heartbreaking is knowing the death didn't have to happen. If someone had just been more careful, followed proper procedures, or simply paid attention, your loved one might still be here.

Our accident injury lawyers at Butler Prather LLP understand that you need answers. You may be dealing with overwhelming medical bills, funeral expenses, lost income, and the emotional trauma of your loss. All while trying to figure out if you have a case worth pursuing. If this sounds like your situation, we’re here to help.

Understanding Wrongful Death Laws in Georgia

Georgia's wrongful death laws are designed to help families like yours find justice, but navigating them alone can be too much during this tough time. As your Brunswick wrongful death lawyer, we’ll explain these laws and guide you through each step of the process with compassion and clarity.

What Constitutes a Wrongful Death in Georgia?

Legal Definition and Requirements

According to Georgia law, a wrongful death occurs when a person dies due to intentional, reckless, negligent, or criminal actions of another. This means someone didn't necessarily intend to cause harm, but their careless or improper behavior led to your loved one's death.

To have a valid claim, we need to prove four key elements:

1. Someone had a duty to act carefully toward your loved one
2. They breached that duty through their actions or failure to act
3. Their breach directly caused your loved one's death
4. You and your family suffered measurable damages as a result

For example, drivers have a duty to follow traffic laws. If someone runs a red light while texting and hits your family member, they've breached their duty, and that breach caused the death.

Common Causes of Wrongful Death

Our PI lawyer team frequently handles wrongful death cases stemming from:

• Auto accidents, including car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian collisions
• Dangerous or defective products
• Workplace incidents, including construction accidents
• Slip and falls or other premises liability issues
• Nursing home neglect or abuse

No matter the cause of your loved one's death, if someone else's carelessness or wrongdoing was responsible, you deserve answers and accountability.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?

Eligible Family Members

Georgia law is specific about who can file a wrongful death claim. The right to file follows this order:

1. Surviving spouse
2. If no spouse, then surviving children
3. If no spouse or children, then surviving parents
4. If none of the above, then the administrator of the estate

This means if your spouse died, you would have the first right to file. If you're a child who lost a parent with no surviving spouse, you and your siblings would have the right to file.

How Wrongful Death Compensation is Divided

In Georgia, compensation is divided in specific ways depending on who files:

• If a spouse files with children, the spouse receives at least one-third of the recovery, with the remainder split among all children
• If children file with no surviving spouse, the recovery is divided equally among them
• If parents file, they typically share the recovery equally
• If the estate administrator files, the recovery is distributed according to the will or intestacy laws

Georgia law doesn't cap wrongful death damages in most cases, allowing families to seek full compensation for their devastating loss.

How Is Negligence Determined in a Wrongful Death Case?

When you're suffering after losing someone you love, understanding legal terms like "negligence" might be the last thing on your mind. But as a wrongful death law firm, we want to explain it simply: negligence means someone failed to act with reasonable care, and that failure caused harm. You also need to prove that someone's carelessness directly led to your loved one's death.

Let’s review some real-world examples that might help clarify:

• Motorcycle accident: Imagine your husband was riding his motorcycle safely when another driver changed lanes without looking or signaling. That driver had a duty to check blind spots and signal before changing lanes. Their failure to take these basic safety precautions caused the crash that took your loved one's life.
• Premises liability: Perhaps your mother was shopping at a grocery store when she slipped on a spill that had been reported but not cleaned up for hours. The store had a duty to maintain safe conditions for customers. Their failure to address a known hazard in a reasonable timeframe led to the fall that ultimately caused her death.
• Nursing home abuse: Maybe your grandfather was in a nursing facility that chronically understaffed their shifts, leading to residents being left unattended for hours. If he fell trying to get to the bathroom without help and suffered fatal injuries, the facility failed in their duty to provide adequate care and supervision.

In each case, someone had a responsibility, failed to meet it, and that failure directly caused a death that shouldn't have happened. At Butler Prather LLP, we meticulously investigate every aspect of your case to establish these elements of negligence and build the strongest possible claim for your family.

What Types of Compensation Can I Recover for a Wrongful Death?

We get it. Talking about money feels uncomfortable when you're grieving. Nothing can put a price tag on your loved one's life. But the reality is that their death might have left your family facing serious financial challenges on top of your emotional pain.

Here's what you might be entitled to recover:

Economic damages are the tangible financial losses your family has suffered and will continue to face:

• Medical expenses from your loved one's final illness or injury
• Funeral and burial costs
• Lost wages and benefits your loved one would have earned throughout their working life
• Lost retirement benefits or pension
• Value of household services they would have provided (childcare, home maintenance, etc.)
• Lost inheritance that family members would have received

Non-economic damages are harder-to-calculate damages that acknowledge the profound emotional impact of your loss:

As a wrongful death law firm in Brunswick, we work with financial experts, economists, and life care planners to accurately calculate both your current losses and those you'll face in the years ahead.

Common Types of Accident Leading to Wrongful Death Claims

Every wrongful death case tells a unique story of loss. As an experienced personal injury law firm serving Brunswick families, we’ve helped many people who lost loved ones in preventable accidents. Here are the types of accidents that most frequently lead to wrongful death cases:

• Car accidents: These common tragedies often result from distracted driving, speeding, or intoxication. Even "minor" driving mistakes can have fatal consequences.
• Motorcycle accidents: Many fatal motorcycle crashes happen when other drivers fail to notice riders or misjudge their distance and speed, cutting them off or turning into their path.
• Trucking accidents: These accidents frequently stem from driver fatigue, improper maintenance, overloaded cargo, or inadequate training.
• Auto defects: Sometimes it's not a driver's error but a vehicle's failure that causes death. Faulty airbags, brake failures, tire blowouts, or fuel system defects can turn otherwise survivable accidents into fatal ones.
• Product liability: From faulty medical devices and contaminated medications to malfunctioning household appliances, companies that rush products to market without adequate safety testing put profits over people's lives.
• Construction accidents: Falls from heights, electrocutions, being struck by objects, or caught between machinery account for most construction fatalities.
• Nursing home negligence: Tragic deaths often result from medication errors, falls due to inadequate supervision, malnutrition, dehydration, or untreated medical conditions that staff should have recognized.
• Premises liability: Fatal accidents can occur from unmarked hazards, inadequate security leading to assault, swimming pool accidents, or structural failures. Businesses that ignore maintenance to save money may ultimately cost someone their life.
• Workplace accidents: Beyond construction, many industries present fatal hazards. Chemical exposure, equipment malfunctions, inadequate training, or violations of safety regulations can all result in workplace fatalities that leave families devastated.
• Boating accidents: Brunswick's coastal location means boating accidents are unfortunately common here. Operator inexperience, intoxication, excessive speed, and failure to follow navigation rules frequently contribute to fatal boating incidents.

No matter what type of accident claimed your loved one's life, the key question is whether someone else's negligence or wrongdoing was responsible. At Butler Prather LLP, we've handled cases across all these categories and more. We have the resources to investigate complex accidents, identify all responsible parties, and build compelling cases that honor your loved one's memory.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Wrongful Death Case in Georgia?

When you're grieving, legal rules are probably the last thing on your mind. But we want you to know something very important: the statute of limitations. In other words, this is the legal time limit for filing your wrongful death case in Georgia.

In most wrongful death cases in our state, you have just two years from the date of your loved one's death to file a lawsuit. After this deadline passes, the courts will almost always refuse to hear your case, no matter how strong it might be.

The most heartbreaking conversations we have are with families who waited too long to seek legal help. By the time they reach out, their right to pursue justice has expired. Don't let crucial evidence disappear or deadlines pass—let our Brunswick wrongful death attorneys fight for your family while you focus on healing.

When You're Ready to Speak About Your Loss, We're Ready to Listen. Call (706) 322-1990 Now to Schedule a Free Consultation

Our Wrongful Death Process

When you work with Butler Prather LLP, we follow a thorough process designed to support you while building the strongest possible case:

1. Free initial consultation: We'll listen to your story with compassion, answer your questions, and help determine if you have a viable case.
2. Investigation phase: Our team immediately begins gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and working with experts to understand exactly what happened.
3. Documentation collection: We gather all relevant medical records, accident reports, employment records, and other documentation to support your claim.
4. Consultation with experts: We contact medical experts, accident reconstructionists, economists, and other specialists to strengthen your case.
5. Calculation of damages: We meticulously calculate the full extent of your economic and non-economic losses to ensure we seek appropriate compensation.
6. Filing of legal claims: We prepare and file all necessary legal documents, meeting all deadlines and procedural requirements.
7. Negotiation with insurance companies: We handle all communications with insurance companies to protect you from their tactics while pursuing a fair settlement.
8. Preparation for trial: If a fair settlement isn't on the table, we prepare your case for court by developing compelling arguments.
9. Trial representation: If your case reaches this stage, our experienced trial attorneys will present your case persuasively in court, fighting for the justice your loved one deserves.

The Role of Evidence in Building Your Case

The strength of your wrongful death case often depends on the availability of evidence you have. Evidence comes in many forms, including:

• Physical evidence from accident scenes
• Surveillance or dashcam footage
• Medical records and autopsy reports
• Witness statements and testimonies
• Expert analysis and reconstruction
• Employment and financial records
• Documentation of insurance communications
• Digital evidence like texts or emails

When you're grieving, these details may seem overwhelming. That's why our Brunswick wrongful death legal team handles everything, keeping you informed without burdening you with the legal matters. We are here to ensure nothing important is overlooked in your pursuit of justice.

When Tragedy Strikes, You Deserve Strong Legal Support

The path to justice begins with a single phone call. Reach out to our dedicated PI lawyer team today at (706) 322-1990 for your free, no-obligation consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered wrongful death in Georgia?

In Georgia, a wrongful death occurs when someone dies due to another person's or company's negligent, reckless, or intentional actions. The key is that the death wouldn't have happened if the other party had acted with proper care.

Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Georgia?

Georgia law follows a specific order for who can file a wrongful death claim. First priority goes to the surviving spouse, who must share any award with surviving children (though the spouse always gets at least one-third). If there's no spouse, the children can file. If there are no children or spouse, the deceased person's parents have the right to file. If none of these family members exist, the personal representative of the estate may file the claim.

How much can I recover in a wrongful death case?

Every case is different, but Georgia allows families to recover both economic and non-economic damages. This includes lost wages the person would have earned in their lifetime, medical bills, funeral costs, loss of care and companionship, and the value of services they would have provided.

How long does a wrongful death case take?

The timeline varies greatly depending on the complexity of your case. Simple cases with clear liability might settle anywhere between six and 12 months, while more complex cases can take two or three years or longer.

Do I need a Brunswick wrongful death lawyer?

While you technically can file a claim yourself, trying to handle a wrongful death case without experienced legal representation may lead to lower compensation or outright claim denial. Insurance companies have teams of lawyers protecting their interests—you deserve the same.