Once you have filed a wrongful death claim and worked with legal counsel to gather the evidence, witnesses, and experts you might need, you might end up in court. If an insurance company or a responsible party does not propose an acceptable settlement, you may have to rely on getting a judgment for compensation.
Our knowledgeable wrongful death attorneys at the AW Smith Law Firm have the expertise and experience to take on Columbia, MO, wrongful death trials. With a lawyer representing you in court, you can bring a claim to completion on behalf of a loved one who has passed.
By the time you reach trial in a wrongful death case, you will have already dealt with many procedural and legal issues. For example, you will have determined that you are someone able to bring a wrongful claim on behalf of the deceased based on your relationship to them. You also brought your claim within the three-year statute of limitations determined by Missouri Revised Statutes § 537.100.
You may also have a good understanding of what damages you are suing for. In wrongful death cases, you can usually win compensation for burial expenses, lost financial contributions to the family and household, the pain and suffering of the deceased, and sometimes even harms from before death, depending on the situation.
Along the way, you may have seen different claims changed or dismissed, but at least part of your suit is making it into the courthouse before a judge or jury. An attorney in Columbia at AW Smith Law Firm knows what types of evidence, witnesses, and testimony will be brought out at trial because of pretrial discovery as well as some attempts to cut litigation short, either because you or your opponent are confident that you should win even without a wrongful death trial.
The point of a trial is to get the evidence and testimony in front of an impartial judge or a jury. Each side can introduce admissible evidence and prove why they should win, and you as the plaintiff can prove each part of your claim.
You and your attorney can call witnesses, introduce applicable evidence for the judge or jury to hear and see, and attack the credibility of the evidence and witnesses for the other side. Once both sides have presented their case, the judge or jury will deliberate and render a verdict, though your opponent may try to settle your claim, even right before a verdict, if they think they might lose or have to pay more than they hoped.
Presenting evidence in a straightforward manner and questioning the other side is an art honed over time. Our Columbia attorneys at the AW Smith Law Firm have decades of legal experience combined, including wrongful death trials. That experience can give you a better chance of succeeding in your claim for damages.
The outcomes of Columbia, MO wrongful death trials depend on the specific facts, but the attorneys who help their clients bring cases also have a significant impact.
At AW Smith Law Firm, we use contingency arrangements to get paid as part of a compensation award, so we only win when you do. We can fight on your behalf and represent you before and during trial to make sure you get a fair chance at compensation. Call our office to schedule your consultation.
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