Florida defines a wrongful death as one that a wrongful act, negligence, default, or breach of contract or warranty caused. Essentially, if the death resulted from someone else’s careless, reckless, or even intentional actions and the deceased—had he or she survived—would have cause for a personal injury claim.
Types of situations in which wrongful death claims can arise include:
Motor vehicle accidents, including those involving cars, trucks, rideshares, buses, commercial trucks, trains, aircraft, watercraft, motorcycles, pedestrians, or bicycles. Motor vehicle accidents result in more than 36,000 deaths a year in the U.S., including more than 3,000 each year on Florida roadway
Premises liability, including slip and fall accidents, swimming pool accidents, elevator or escalator accidents, negligent security, or dog bites.
Defective products, including dangerous medications or malfunctioning auto parts, appliances, or even dangerous children’s toys, cribs, or car seats.
Acts of violence, such as assault, domestic violence, or child abuse.