New Orleans Wrongful Death Attorney
Losing someone you love because a driver, a company, or a medical provider was careless is the worst kind of personal injury, the kind that cannot be undone. No lawsuit brings a person back. What a wrongful death claim can do is tell the truth about what happened, hold the responsible party accountable, and protect the financial future of the family left behind. Thomas Corrington has guided New Orleans families through these cases since 1998, with the discretion and patience they require.
When you are ready to talk, we are ready to listen. Free, confidential consultation: (504) 895-3431.
(504) 895-3431
Who Can Bring a Wrongful Death Claim in Louisiana
Louisiana law sets a strict order of who may file: first the surviving spouse and children; if there are none, the parents; then siblings; then grandparents. Louisiana also recognizes a separate “survival action” for the suffering your loved one experienced between injury and death. Understanding how these two claims work together and who must bring them is one of the first things we sort out for a family, so relatives are not left guessing during the hardest weeks of their lives.
What Compensation Covers
Medical bills and funeral expenses
The income and benefits your loved one would have provided over a lifetime
Loss of love, companionship, and guidance - for spouses, children, and parents
The pain your loved one endured before death (survival action)
Insurers approach grieving families early, sympathetic and checkbook open, hoping to resolve a lifetime of loss for a fraction of its value. You do not have to respond to them at all. Once we are involved, every call comes to us.
Fatal Accidents We Handle
Most of the wrongful death cases we see arise from car accidents and 18-wheeler crashes on the region’s highways, from medical negligence, and from unsafe premises. Whatever took your loved one, the questions are the same: what really happened, who is responsible, and what will it take to keep this family secure. We answer all three.
Deadlines Are Shorter Than You Think
Wrongful death claims in Louisiana carry firm filing deadlines. For most claims, the law provides the longer of one year from the death or two years from the day the injury or damage was sustained. Medical malpractice wrongful death claims generally follow a separate one-year period from the death. Reaching out early does not mean litigating early; it means your options stay open.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do wrongful death cases take?
Anywhere from several months to a few years, depending on how clearly fault can be established and whether the insurer negotiates honestly. We move as quickly as thorough preparation allows, and we keep the family informed at every step, in plain language.
What is the difference between a wrongful death claim and a survival action?
The wrongful death claim compensates the family for their own losses, support, companionship, funeral costs. The survival action compensates for what your loved one experienced between the injury and death. Louisiana allows both, and a complete case usually includes both.
How much does a wrongful death lawyer cost?
Nothing unless we recover for your family. The consultation is free and confidential, we advance all case costs, and our fee comes only from the recovery.
Do we have to go to trial?
Most cases settle, and we never force a family toward a courtroom they do not want. But preparing every case as if it will be tried is what produces fair settlements, the insurer must believe trial is a real possibility.