What is grief? According to medicinenet.com grief is a normal internal feeling one experiences in reaction to a loss. Grief is common. As an example for this 3 out of four women outlive their husband and every year in the United States, 4% of children under the age of 15 experience the death of a parent.

Complicated grief is a type of grief that refers to a reaction to loss that lasts more than one year. It is characterized by the grief reaction intensifying to affect all of the sufferer’s close relationships, disrupting his or her beliefs, About 15% of bereaved individuals will suffer from complicated grief, and one-third of people already getting mental-health services have been found to suffer from this extended grief reaction.

Although grieving is a common part of of the process of losing someone close to you, the effects can play a potentially negative role on a person. For example, 40% of bereaved people will suffer some form of anxiety disorder in the first year after losing a loved one. The risk factors for experiencing more serious symptoms of grief for a longer period of time can be related to the survivor’s own physical and emotional health before the loss, the relationship between the bereaved and their family member or other loved one, as well as related to the nature of the death. This is most common in women who have lost a child.

If you or someone you know has lost a loved one to tragic circumstances, you need information. Order your FREE copy of The Ohio Wrongful Death Book to learn your rights. Our attorneys are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we have six locations in northwest Ohio where we can meet with you – for free – to discuss your case.

We represent Ohio personal injury clients from Toledo, Maumee, Delta, Port Clinton, Bowling Green, McClure, Napoleon, Helena, Fremont, Fostoria, Tiffin, Cygnet, North Baltimore, Ottawa, Findlay, Carey, Bryan, Sandusky, Swanton, Perrysburg, Grand Rapids, Waterville, Liberty Center, Portage, West Millgrove, Woodville, Genoa, Gibsonburg, Findlay, Risingsun, Deshler, Hamler, Oregon, Sylvania, Delta, Weston, Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Clyde, Lorain, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Millbury, Walbridge, Holland, Northwood, and Whitehouse. We also serve those who live in Lucas, Wood, Seneca, Lorain, Fulton, Erie, Hancock, and Sandusky Counties.

In a routine personal injury claim, sometimes it’s possible to proceed without a Toledo, Ohio workers’ comp lawyer, even though it’s usually unwise. People shouldn’t even think about trying to handle a wrongful death claim on their own. These cases generally are far too complicated and technical for most people to tackle by themselves.

For instance, wrongful death claims need to be made through the administrator or executor of an estate. That means an estate has to be opened through the probate court, which requires an understanding of that legal process. The lawyer handling your wrongful death claim will do that for you or will consult with a probate attorney to get it done. The estate will remain open until the claim resolves.

Sometimes these already complicated cases get trickier because the person who caused the decedent’s death also dies in the incident. In that case, the claim is made against the wrongdoer’s estate. If no one opens that estate, your lawyer will have to open it if you plan to go after estate assets. Again, that’s a technical process that a layperson shouldn’t try to handle.

As we discussed earlier, your lawyer has to show the decedent’s death was caused by negligent or wrongful conduct. On top of that, the lawyer must prove the various elements of the beneficiaries’ claims for damages. The issues involved are complicated even for attorneys who operate in this world every day.

Seek a lawyer who focuses his or her practice on personal injury claims and who has experience working on wrongful death cases. Lawyers in this field understand the issues the insurance industry and defense attorneys will raise to defeat your claim, and will have the knowledge and experience to fight for your rights.

Your lawyer will have a few options when trying to resolve your case. Some lawyers file a lawsuit immediately, which has the benefit of putting you quickly on a trial track. The other path the attorney might take is negotiating with the insurance adjuster to resolve the case without having to file a lawsuit. Most attorneys, including those in our office, prefer the second approach.

Lawsuits are time-consuming, expensive, and unpredictable. The benefit of settling a claim with the adjuster is that the client gets compensated sooner and has a certain outcome. We only file suits quickly if the adjuster makes an unfair offer that we know isn’t going to get any better or if the two-year statute of limitations discussed above is about to expire.

Sometimes going to trial becomes the only option. When you’re looking for a lawyer, make sure you hire someone who is willing to try cases if necessary. It can take a long time to get to trial, but it may offer your best chance of getting fair compensation for your wrongful death claim. If you have to go to trial, be prepared for a long wait. It’s not unusual for a trial date to be set anywhere from six months to a year after the complaint is filed, and trial dates often get postponed.

We represent Ohio personal injury clients from Toledo, Maumee, Delta, Port Clinton, Bowling Green, McClure, Napoleon, Helena, Fremont, Fostoria, Tiffin, Cygnet, North Baltimore, Ottawa, Findlay, Carey, Bryan, Sandusky, Swanton, Perrysburg, Grand Rapids, Waterville, Liberty Center, Portage, West Millgrove, Woodville, Genoa, Gibsonburg, Findlay, Risingsun, Deshler, Hamler, Oregon, Sylvania, Delta, Weston, Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Clyde, Lorain, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Millbury, Walbridge, Holland, Northwood, and Whitehouse. We also serve those who live in Lucas, Wood, Seneca, Lorain, Fulton, Erie, Hancock, and Sandusky Counties.

 TIME TO FILE LAWSUIT IS LIMITED

Generally, the statute of limitations on a wrongful death claim is two years, which means if a lawsuit has to be filed, it must be filed within two years of the decedent’s death. It’s extremely important to keep track of this date. If the two-year period lapses, a claim will be barred forever. The idea behind a statute of limitations is that crucial evidence that someone needs to defend such a lawsuit could be lost or destroyed if too much time passes.

If the decedent’s death was caused by a defective product, generally the product can’t have been delivered to the first purchaser more than 10 years prior to the death. 

We represent Ohio personal injury clients from Toledo, Maumee, Delta, Port Clinton, Bowling Green, McClure, Napoleon, Helena, Fremont, Fostoria, Tiffin, Cygnet, North Baltimore, Ottawa, Findlay, Carey, Bryan, Sandusky, Swanton, Perrysburg, Grand Rapids, Waterville, Liberty Center, Portage, West Millgrove, Woodville, Genoa, Gibsonburg, Findlay, Risingsun, Deshler, Hamler, Oregon, Sylvania, Delta, Weston, Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Clyde, Lorain, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Millbury, Walbridge, Holland, Northwood, and Whitehouse. We also serve those who live in Lucas, Wood, Seneca, Lorain, Fulton, Erie, Hancock, and Sandusky Counties.

The United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating the Ohio work injury that caused Bruce Bartos’ broken leg, as well as the possible Ohio wrongful death he suffered on the operating table.

Bruce Bartos, an employee of Toledo Edison, suffered an Ohio work injury on May 12th, after falling and breaking his leg. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family after we learned that he passed away Monday while having surgery on the injured leg, according to the Toledo Blade.

If you or someone you know has been injured on the job in Ohio, you need information. Order your free copy of The Ohio Work Injury Book, written by our Toledo, Ohio workers’ compensation lawyers, which answers questions like: Will I get fired if I am injured at work?, and, Who is going to pay my medical bills if I am injured at work?

Our Findlay, Ohio tragic accident attorneys have also written a book on what to do if you lose a loved one to tragic circumstances. The Ohio Wrongful Death Book is also available free of charge, and will teach readers what an Ohio wrongful death means, what a beneficiary is, and how to handle the grieving process.

We represent Ohio personal injury clients from Toledo, Maumee, Delta, Port Clinton, Bowling Green, McClure, Napoleon, Helena, Fremont, Fostoria, Tiffin, Cygnet, North Baltimore, Ottawa, Findlay, Carey, Bryan, Sandusky, Swanton, Perrysburg, Grand Rapids, Waterville, Liberty Center, Portage, West Millgrove, Woodville, Genoa, Gibsonburg, Findlay, Risingsun, Deshler, Hamler, Oregon, Sylvania, Delta, Weston, Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Clyde, Lorain, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Millbury, Walbridge, Holland, Northwood, and Whitehouse. We also serve those who live in Lucas, Wood, Seneca, Lorain, Fulton, Erie, Hancock, and Sandusky Counties.