If there was a bad accident while your loved one was at their job and you got a phone call stating that the person was headed to the hospital, only to find out that they were dead when you got there, you have to be strong and get a lawyer. You want to act quickly to get the bottom of what happened and to understand what your rights are. Here are some of the things to take into consideration.

Don't Let Too Much Time Pass

The more time that passes after the accident, the higher the risk that evidence can get lost, compromised, or forgotten. You don't want witnesses to forget what they saw, the weather to wash away important evidence at the scene, or video recordings to get deleted or recorded over because you didn't act quickly enough for the case. As soon as you are able to meet with a lawyer, do so to get them working on the case.

Start with the Medical Evidence

Start gathering medical evidence as quickly as you can. This means writing down everything that the medical staff told you, keeping the hospital bills and statements, writing down the reasons why the doctors attempted what treatments, and more. Then you will also have to get the autopsy so that you can confirm the cause of death and use that for the case. If the hospital said that the patient was dead when they entered the emergency room, you want to know if it happened instantly at work or in the ER.

Know Your Options

If you were related to the patient as a spouse or parent, you could be the one who has to press charges against the employer. Talk with the lawyer about:

• Workplace negligence
• A settlement
• Benefits for any beneficiaries left behind
• Final arrangement costs covered

You want to know what the employer should have to pay for, how much they could end up having to pay, and how you start the process of pressing charges or filing a lawsuit.

If someone you love died at work and you don't have any definite answers from the employees, you want to call a wrongful death lawyer, such as the associates at David Randolph Smith & Associates, so they can get to the bottom of the case right away and so they can start putting the case together. You deserve answers, information, some compensation and benefits, and so much more.