Hartford Wrongful Death Attorney

Losing a family member to someone else’s negligence is a grief that arrives without warning and without the chance to say goodbye. At the same time, Connecticut’s legal system expects your family to make critical decisions about potential legal action. While you are still absorbing what happened, you need an advocate who can take that burden off your shoulders.

No family should navigate this system alone. Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante can guide you through every stage of your claim. Our Hartford injury attorneys will investigate what happened, identify who is responsible, and pursue the compensation allowed under Connecticut law. If your family lost someone because another party was careless or reckless, call us at (860) 983-3333 for a free, confidential consultation.

Why Grieving Families Trust Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante

• Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante has represented Connecticut families in fatal injury cases for more than seventy years. We have the experience and investigative resources to prove how a death occurred and who caused it.
• Several of our wrongful death attorneys are board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. We prepare every case for trial and are ready to file a lawsuit if the defense will not offer a fair settlement.
• You will have a single point of contact throughout your case, so you always know where your claim stands. We explain every decision before it is made, and we will never accept a settlement without your approval.

The Role of an Attorney in a Hartford Wrongful Death Claim

A wrongful death lawsuit must be proven without the victim in the room. Everything your family member would have said about the incident, their pain, and their plans must be reconstructed from other sources. That work takes time and resources that many families do not have on their own.

A Hartford wrongful death attorney will know how to rebuild that account using the evidence that remains. Your attorney will gather medical records, the medical examiner’s findings, first responder reports, and witness statements that establish how your family member died and who was responsible. They will also work with economists and other experts to calculate the loss your family has incurred, both now and over the decades ahead.

What Is Considered Wrongful Death Under Connecticut Law?

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-555 governs legal actions for injuries that result in death. A wrongful death lawsuit arises when another party’s negligence, recklessness, defective product, medical error, or intentional act causes someone to die. 

In these claims, the estate takes the place of the deceased and pursues the case they could have filed if alive. This requires proving the same essential elements as any personal injury claim: that the defendant owed a duty of care, breached their duty, caused the death, and resulted in recoverable losses.

Who Has the Right to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, only the executor or administrator of the estate can file a wrongful death lawsuit. Spouses, parents, and adult children cannot file a lawsuit on their own, regardless of how directly the loss has affected them.

If your loved one left a will naming an executor, that person is responsible for filing the wrongful death claim. If there was no will, a family member can apply to be appointed as administrator. The probate court can also appoint a temporary administrator when the wrongful death filing deadline is approaching and the full appointment has not yet been completed.

Accidents and Incidents That Commonly Lead to Wrongful Death Claims

Almost any preventable accident can turn fatal. At Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, we represent Connecticut wrongful death claims that involve:

• Motor vehicle collisions
• Truck crashes
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian collisions
• Bicycle accidents
• Drunk driving crashes
• Construction site accidents
• Electrocutions
• Workplace machinery accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Birth injuries
• Nursing home neglect and abuse
• Defective products
• Fires and explosions
• Drownings
• Inadequate premises security

Damages Recoverable in a Connecticut Wrongful Death Lawsuit

In a wrongful death lawsuit, the estate can recover compensation for what the deceased endured before they died, as well as the effects on their family. Recoverable damages include:

• Conscious Pain and Suffering Before Death: If your family member survived for any period after the injury, the estate can recover compensation for what they experienced during that time. 
• Medical and Hospital Expenses: The estate can recover the cost of all treatment your family member received between the injury and their death. This includes ambulance transport, emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, and any medication or therapy they received.
• Funeral and Burial Expenses: The estate can also recover reasonable funeral costs, including services, transportation of the body, cremation or burial, and the cemetery plot or headstone.
• Lost Earning Capacity: This category covers the income your family member would have earned had they lived a normal working life. It accounts for wages, raises, retirement contributions, and employment benefits.
• Destruction of the Capacity to Carry On Life’s Activities: Connecticut allows the estate to recover damages for the loss of the life itself, accounting for the years your family member will not have and everything they would have done with them.
• Loss of Consortium: A surviving spouse can recover for the loss of companionship, affection, and support. The spouse files this claim individually, alongside the estate’s wrongful death case.

Is There a Deadline to Bring a Wrongful Death Action in Connecticut?

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-555 requires the estate to file a wrongful death claim within two years of the date of death. The statute also bars any action brought more than five years after the act or omission that caused the death. Connecticut courts enforce that five-year limit even when a family could not have discovered the claim in time.

There is one exception. The time limitation does not apply when the party at fault has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of certain homicide offenses. In this situation, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit at any time. 

Let a Hartford Wrongful Death Attorney Fight for Your Family

Your family should not have to handle probate filings, record requests, and insurance adjusters while grieving. Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante will take on that work and hold the responsible parties accountable for your loved one’s loss. Call (860) 983-3333 or contact us online to speak with a Hartford wrongful death attorney at no cost.