Fatal Car Accident Lawyer in Greenville, SC

Losing a loved one is always a difficult experience, but it can be especially heart-rending when it comes at the hands of someone else’s careless or even reckless behavior.

If you’ve lost a close family member to a fatal car accident in Greenville, South Carolina, The Melonakos Law Firm wants to help you demand compensation for what you’ve suffered and seek a degree of justice for your loved one.

Contact us today for a free initial case review with our Greenville car accident lawyers to discuss your family’s legal options and how we can support you during this difficult time.

Our Greenville Car Accident Attorneys Are Here for You

In the wake of a fatal South Carolina car accident, the shock of your loved one’s passing can make it challenging to move forward and seek accountability from those responsible for the death. The Greenville fatal car crash attorneys at The Melonakos Law Firm understand what you’re going through. We want to provide your family with the compassionate legal advice and representation you deserve.

Our team cares deeply about everyone who entrusts us with their most important legal matters, and we acknowledge that trust by working tirelessly for them. Firm founder Mike Melonakos handpicked and personally trained every member of our team to ensure that everyone embodies the same values he holds dear – genuineness, approachability, and compassion.

When you choose our law firm for legal help after a family tragedy, you can expect us to do everything we can to help you move forward while honoring your loved one’s memory.

Common Causes and Types of Fatal Car Accidents in Greenville, SC

Fatalities can occur in many types of car accidents, such as head-on collisions, side-impact collisions, rollover accidents, highway accidents, and pile-up crashes. Some of the most common causes of fatal car accidents in Greenville include:

• Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
• Reckless driving, such as excessive speeding, street racing, or swerving through heavy traffic
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Failing to yield
• Distracted driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Drowsy driving
• Not signaling before turning or changing lanes
• Aggressive driving and road rage

Pursuing a Wrongful Death Claim After a Fatal Crash

If someone else is responsible for your loved one’s death, South Carolina’s wrongful death law allows your family to seek compensation for what you’ve suffered. The law defines a wrongful death as a death caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another party. In other words, if your loved one would have had grounds for a personal injury claim had they not died, you likely have grounds to pursue a fatal car accident claim.

South Carolina specifies that only the executor or administrator of the victim’s estate may initiate the wrongful death claim. However, any compensation recovered through the claim is for the benefit of eligible surviving family members of the deceased. Typically, the surviving spouse and children will receive this compensation. If a victim left no surviving spouse or children, the financial recovery will go to the parents, or if the parents have already passed, then the victim’s heirs at law.

The law divides the money recovered in wrongful death cases in the same proportions that eligible family members would inherit from the estate if the person died intestate (without a will). The law further requires a probate court, trial court, or U.S. district court to approve a settlement of a South Carolina wrongful death claim.

Under South Carolina’s statute of limitations, an executor or administrator has three years from the death to file a wrongful death claim arising from a fatal car accident. An at-fault driver can move to dismiss any lawsuit filed after the limitations period expires, which makes it critical to ensure your family’s case gets filed on time.

Damages That May Be Recovered After a Deadly Car Accident in Greenville, SC

In a fatal car accident claim, your family may have the right to recover compensation for the financial toll and personal losses you experience due to a loved one’s death in a car accident, both now and in the future. Your family’s financial recovery can include compensation for:

• Medical bills incurred to treat your loved one’s fatal car accident injuries
• Reasonable funeral costs and burial expenses
• Loss of your loved one’s financial support and employment benefits (such as health insurance)
• Loss of your loved one’s experience, guidance, care, companionship, and protection
• Emotional trauma, pain, and suffering experienced by surviving family members

In exceptional cases, a jury may award a family punitive damages in a wrongful death lawsuit after the family has lost a loved one in a fatal car accident.

The Role of a Fatal Accident Attorney

Losing a loved one in a car accident is a source of considerable grief and anguish. A Greenville car accident lawyer from The Melonakos Law Firm can help your family by shouldering the burden of preparing and pursuing your family’s wrongful death claims so you can focus on healing.

Our legal team is ready to pursue the financial compensation your family deserves by:

• Investigating the crash to determine liability and recover evidence to build your family’s fatal car accident case, such as police crash reports, accident scene photos, video footage, and eyewitness testimony
• Identifying the parties you might hold liable for your loved one’s death and your family’s losses and filing insurance claims to obtain compensation for your losses
• Working with accident reconstruction and financial experts as necessary to develop a compelling case
• Handling communications and negotiations with the insurance adjuster and others at the insurance company to give your family the time and space to grieve and heal
• Vigorously pursuing maximum compensation, whether through a settlement or by pursuing your family’s legal claim at trial

Get Help from Our Fatal Car Accident Lawyers in Greenville, SC

Has a loved one passed away due to injuries they suffered in a car crash in Greenville that was someone else’s fault? Get the experienced legal counsel you need to demand accountability and financial recovery from liable parties.

Contact The Melonakos Law Firm today for a free consultation to learn how our Greenville fatal car accident attorneys can fight for the fair compensation your family deserves for the tragedy you’ve been through.