Experienced Kansas Wrongful Death Attorneys
No one can ever anticipate the emotional distress caused by the untimely death of a loved one. When this loss is caused by another person's careless, even intentional conduct, people don't just want financial compensation, they want justice. By holding the negligent person accountable for the death of a parent, sibling, spouse or child, they can ensure that no one else will ever have to endure this type of tragedy at the hands of the liable party.
At the Warner Law Offices, located in Wichita, Kansas, our two main jobs are: to determine how this terrible loss occurred and who should be held accountable.
Regardless of whether you lost a family member due to a car accident, medical malpractice or workplace accident, contact us to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your legal options.
While you undoubtedly want to obtain justice for a loved one who was tragically killed, your financial losses deserve immediate attention as well. When a family loses the primary breadwinner, it is often left with little or no financial options. Perhaps the costs associated with medical care and funeral arrangements have exhausted your already tight financial reserves. Regardless of your situation, a wrongful death lawsuit filed is a method of recovering your losses and ensuring your family's future.
The state of Kansas has guidelines limiting the amount of money you are eligible to recover in a wrongful death lawsuit. According to Kansas law, you may recover:
- Up to $250,000 for your mental anguish/pain and suffering
- Up to $250,000 for the pain and suffering of your loved one
- Financial compensation for the loss of nurturing, counseling, service, education and other economic damage
You Have the Right to Request an Autopsy
When a patient dies in the hospital, the patient's family naturally goes through the grieving process and may be reluctant to think about or consider an autopsy to determine the cause of death. However, when a patient has potentially been killed by medical malpractice as a result of the actions of a physician, nurse, physician's assistant, hospital or other health care provider, there are laws in the state of Kansas that define under what circumstances the Coroner's office must be notified in order determine if an autopsy is warranted.
Unfortunately, at times, the Coroner's office may seek the advice or recommendation from the treating physician or other health care provider whether they deem an autopsy is warranted. For obvious reasons, the health care provider may be reluctant or even insistent that an autopsy is not necessary. The family has a right to request an autopsy, whether from the coroner office, or an independent pathologist, in order to determine a definitive cause of death for their loved one.
In Wrongful Death actions, the autopsy report outlining the cause of a patient's death can be one of the most important pieces of evidence to prove your case. Therefore, if there is any doubt whether or not an autopsy should be performed, family members should always request or insist that an autopsy be done. As a consumer of health care services this is your right.
At the Warner Law Offices, we understand the bias that people have against certain types of lawsuits. When we file wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of families throughout Kansas, we fight hard to overcome this bias because we understand and appreciate the gravity of all that is at stake. Please contact us to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our lawyers about filing a negligence or wrongful death claim.
