Focusing on legal and financial problems after a deadly accident
An accident that takes the life of a loved can devastate you and your family. Often, families are too grief-stricken after an unexpected fatal auto accident, workplace injury or fall to think about monetary compensation for their lost loved ones. However medical bills, burial costs and other financial problems can mount quickly, particularly if your loved one was a wage earner. The financial repercussions of your loved one’s death can soon overwhelm you and your family.

Our lawyers at the Law Offices of Richard S. Greenberg understand what a difficult time this is for you. We work hard to help you obtain the money you need and deserve after an accident to help make your loss less of a financial struggle. Through personalized service, accessibility and a passion for justice, we are proud to have obtained more than $100 million in settlements for our clients in Bergen County and northern New Jersey over our years of practice.

Who can file a wrongful death claim in New Jersey?
When loved ones are killed in fatal accidents, certain family members may recover compensation for their resulting financial losses under New Jersey laws. Surviving family members who may file for wrongful death include the heirs under intestate law:

Spouse
Children and grandchildren
Parents
Siblings
Dependents
If you are an heir who was dependent on the deceased victim at the time of his or her death, you may recover an award as if you were the sole heir in a proportion determined by the court, which considers such factors as the age of all dependents, physical and mental condition, educational needs, finances and other sources of support. In any case, beneficiaries can only recover monetary damages for their own losses, including:

Loss of current and future financial support, including wages and benefits
Loss of assistance, guidance and companionship
Medical costs
Funeral expenses
In addition, a survivor’s action can be joined with a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages that the deceased suffered. When a person is killed because of a wrongful act, neglect or default, the administrator of the deceased’s estate can sue to recover damages the deceased would have been able to recover if he or she had lived. These are basically personal injury damages and include the pain and suffering the deceased victim went through before death.

What types of wrongful death cases does our firm handle?
At the Law Offices of Richard S. Greenberg, our attorneys have experience and skills in all types of wrongful death claims in New Jersey. If you lost a loved one in any type of accident caused by a wrongful act, neglect or default of another, we can help you seek compensation for your loss. Some of the most common fatal accidents that may give rise wrongful death claims involve all types of motor vehicles collisions:

Auto accidents — There were 17,442 fatal auto accidents involving passenger cars recorded in 2011.
Motorcycle accidents — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 4,749 fatal motorcycle accidents in 2011.
Truck accidents — There were 16,740 fatal accidents involving light trucks and 3,608 large truck accidents in 2011.