Practice Overview

Wrongful Death

New Jersey Lawyers Helping Families Suffering from a Wrongful Death

When a person loses his or her life because of the negligence of another individual or organization, the family of the deceased can bring a wrongful death lawsuit. While nothing can ease the pain of losing a loved one, a wrongful death settlement or verdict can compensate a family for the future and past lost wages and medical bills.

You may be surprised and even shocked to learn that the law in the State of New Jersey, New York and many other states does not allow the family of a loved one who died due to another's negligence to collect damages for grief. It is difficult to understand why these laws have developed over the years, particularly in tragic cases involving the loss of a child. A competent experienced lawyer will look to various ways to obtain fair compensation despite this law. Some ways to handle this situation is to bring a pain and suffering claim for the pain suffered before the person died as a result of the accident, or establishing "loss of companionship, guidance and services" damages which are recoverable in New Jersey in a wrongful death action. In addition, there are issues as to which member of the family recovers in a wrongful death action or how proceeds are to be distributed among various dependants. When you seek legal advice for a wrongful death case you should retain an attorney knowledgeable in this area of law who has successfully brought such cases.

At the Law Offices of Shelley L. Stangler, P.C., we have dealt with many kinds of wrongful death cases. Shelley Stangler represents families and individuals who have lost a loved one due to the negligence of corporations, government entities, commercial enterprises, employers, vehicle manufacturers and trucking companies or due to the malpractice of medical providers.

Types of wrongful death cases include:

• Auto Accidents: The person at fault for an accident is often liable when a person's life is lost in a car crash, truck collision, motorcycle accident, or other tragedy.
• Work-Related Accidents: When someone is killed on the job, the employer or its insurance company should pay compensation for the deceased's lost wages, both past and future, as well as many other expenses.
• Construction Accidents: While a certain amount of danger is expected on construction sites, no one expects to lose their life; families of those lost can obtain compensation where negligence is established.
• Defective Machinery and Products: Products are often designed or manufactured in such a way as to endanger the lives of the people who use them; our lawyers have the experience to go after companies who sell deadly products.
• Medical Malpractice: When doctors make mistakes, the results can be deadly. If a basic acceptable standard of care is not met, they are subject to wrongful death lawsuits.

If you have questions about wrongful death law, please visit our Wrongful Death Frequently Asked Questions.

Caring and Compassionate Client Relations

We know that this is a difficult and painful time for you and your family. At the Law Offices of Shelley L. Stangler, P.C., we are committed to the highest standards of client service. We treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve as we help you through this time. We will sit down and spend the time with you that you need to understand the process, the litigation and the strengths and weaknesses of the case. Our attorneys are always available to clients and respond quickly to their concerns.

Contact Us

Please contact us to set up a free initial consultation with a lawyer who can handle your wrongful death case. If we take your case, you will pay us nothing unless we obtain compensation for you. Evening appointments are available. Our legal assistant speaks Spanish fluently. We have law offices in Springfield, New Jersey and New York City. For your convenience we can arrange to meet you at a location near your home. We travel throughout New Jersey and make appearances in courts around the state. We help clients in Jersey City, Springfield, Linden, Rahway, Union County, Hudson County, Bergen county, Morris county, Monmouth county, Summit, Westfield, Millburn, Chadham, Hillside, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Livingston, Essex County, Middlesex County and many other areas of New Jersey.