In 2007 on Utah Highways, two hundred eighty-five people were killed. Washington County, interestingly enough, ranked in the top four among Utah counties for fatalities. This almost certainly can be attributed to our increased population and resulting traffic. Surprisingly enough, work related deaths occur at a much lower rate than automobile fatalities. In 2006, for example, there were forty-six fatalities in work related accidents. In other words, you are about six times more likely to be killed in an automobile accident than you are on the job. If a friend or a loved one has been killed because of someone else’s negligence or on the job, you must act immediately. The time frames for bringing a wrongful death cause of action are accelerated in automobile, work comp and all negligence claims. Many unsuspecting attorneys, unaware of these Statutes of Limitations, have not filed the appropriate paperwork. This results in the dismissal of death claims. For that reason, the heirs of an accident victim must act in an expeditious manner. If your spouse or parent has died in an automobile accident, you need to contact an experienced injury attorney who understands these time limitations.

Further, many times the insurance carrier will deny the claim based on the comparative negligence of your loved one. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you with these issues.  Additionally, there might be additional insurance or other assets available that an experienced attorney can look to to determine how to best provide for you and your family in the event of the loss of a spouse. If a loved one has died on the job, in a vast majority of those cases, the worker’s compensation carrier will initiate the payment of death benefits to the surviving spouse or minor children. Most times, an attorney does not have to be retained except to review the documents and to ensure that they are in order. If an attorney wants to take such a case on a “contingent fee basis,” as opposed to charging an hourly rate for two or three hours, you should consider another attorney. Typically, unless the insurance carrier has denied the compensability of a work related death claim, the case would not need to get into litigation. Here at Aaron J. Prisbrey, P.C., we will review paperwork related to an accepted liability death claim free of charge. Death claims resulting from someone’s negligence, however, are complex. These cases require an experienced attorney.  Mr. Prisbrey has handled numerous such cases over the years. If you have any questions regarding the accidental death of a loved one, please call. If you would like, you can get a free copy of Mr. Prisbrey’s books. His first book, "Ten Essential Skills Your Injury Attorney Must Have", is available free of charge to Utah accident victims only.  (This book can be obtained through the website or calling our automated toll-free number.) The book focuses on some of the complexities of injury cases including some of the problems in complex cases, such as a death claim. Mr. Prisbrey’s second book (also available through our website) is "Five Deadly Sins That Can Wreck Your Utah Accident Case". As the title suggests, Mr. Prisbrey provides a detailed analysis as to the things you need to avoid in order to maximize the possibility of a favorable outcome in these kinds of cases. Additionally, the book provides data and information which will be beneficial to you in navigating the waters of your automobile accident claim. Again, these books are available free of charge only to Utah automobile accident victims, and they can be obtained free of charge through the toll-free number or by completing the form on this site. (CLICK HERE)