fails, to communicate the magnitude of your loss to a jury. I have tried wrongful death cases to juries in Arizona, Iowa and Minnesota, and I have resolved many more wrongful death cases, in other states, through negotiation.

After a profound loss, contacting an attorney is the farthest thing from a person’s mind; however, this may be a crucial time to insure the strength of your case.

For example, the facts of the tragedy will be imprinted on witnesses’ recollections immediately after the event; but, over time, recollections fade and the attempt to rekindle those memories might not be successful. It’s said that “a picture is worth a thousand words” -- and that accurately describes the power of photographs taken at the scene shortly after the incident.

The laws governing the time in which a family can bring a wrongful death case vary from state to state. These laws are called statutes of limitation. If a case is not brought within that time period it can never be brought. In some states, families must bring their cases within one year from the date of death.

After the death of a loved one, families have questions such as, “How will we go on?”, “How will our family pay the bills?”, and a question that I often hear, “How do we find justice?”

Damages, or the amount of compensation the victim’s family can recover, vary from state to state. All state laws provide that the victim’s family can recover economic damages such as funeral expenses, medical bills and lost income. Some states allow damages for loss of aid, comfort or support, (damages for the loss of the person’s companionship, love and advice); however, in other states these damages are not recoverable.

The most common reason that my clients have given me for bringing a death case is, “We want to prevent this from happening to anyone else.” By showing the person who caused the death exactly what the consequences are for his or her actions, we hope to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.

If you, a friend, or family member needs an experienced trial attorney for a wrongful death case, please contact me.  My toll-free telephone number is: 1 877 534-2271, and my e-mail address is: jdhaas@jdhaas.com.  I would love to help.