A candle and roses for a wrongful death memorial.
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What Qualifies As A Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The unexpected death of a loved one at the hands of a negligent party can be an overwhelming and confusing experience. It’s important to know that if you’ve lost a loved one due to the negligence of another, you are not alone, and there are resources available for you to tap into.  For many, seeking…

Books are stacked on each other, the top reading "Rights of Victims," and there's a gavel next to it.

Victim’s Rights: What Are They and How Do They Work?

The following content is adapted from “Unthinkable” by attorney Kyle Bachus. When it comes to the criminal justice system, victims and family members of victims often feel the system favors the accused. Many victims have voiced their opinions about this imbalance, which has pushed for victim’s rights reform that would give them specific protections. Over…

gavel-justice-scale
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The 11 Steps In a Criminal Case

The following content is adapted from “Unthinkable” by attorney Kyle Bachus. Any criminal case is generally a lengthy process that involves several steps to ensure justice is served. However, criminal cases that involve a fatality or catastrophic injury are particularly complex and can take months (if not longer) to reach a resolution. If you and…

criminal case after wrongful death
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Who Is Involved in a Criminal Case After Wrongful Death?

After a tragic event in which a family member’s life is lost, nothing can undo what happened. But it’s important to know the legal system is there to hold the responsible party accountable and ensure justice is served. If criminal charges are brought in your family’s case after losing a loved one to wrongful death,…

Experts Writing the Catastrophic Incident Case

Dealing With the Consequences of a Loved One’s Traumatic Death or Catastrophic Injury May Require Turning to the Civil Justice System

The following is adapted from Unthinkable. The financial and emotional consequences of a loved one’s traumatic death or catastrophic injury, particularly when someone else is to blame, are huge. So many expenses, so much turmoil, so much anguish—and all because somebody else made a decision that caused them great harm. You may imagine, in instances…

Grieving woman in courtroom

Why People Who Have Endured a Catastrophic Loss are Often Extremely Unhappy With the Outcome of the Criminal Case

The following is adapted from Unthinkable. It was eight in the evening, Denver time, on Wednesday, April 28, 2020. Our COVID-19 lives were just beginning. I had finished a workout in the basement and was sitting in the kitchen eating a barbecue sandwich when my phone rang. My sister, in Florida—calling at ten o’clock her…

The back of a lawyer standing in front of a courtroom, presenting a wrongful death case.

The Wheels of Justice Do Turn in America…They Just Don’t Turn Quickly

The following is adapted from Unthinkable. Murder, robbery, assault, driving while intoxicated—these are all crimes under the law. And, if you or a loved one are the victim of someone who commits one of these crimes, you have the right to seek justice through the criminal justice system. Obviously, laws differ by state, but every…

Female detective looking for clues on a crime case

When You’re Faced With a Catastrophic Incident, Relying Solely on the Police Investigation Amounts to Playing the Lottery

The following is adapted from Unthinkable. I’ve been working in the personal injury law field for almost 30 years. Broadly speaking, the law enforcement officers I’ve encountered want to do a great job, just as anyone else who cares about their work does. And when an incident results in a death or catastrophic injury, law…

A closeup of a gavel with the scales of justice in the background.
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The Civil Justice System Gives Victims and Their Families the Opportunity to Be Heard (Even When The Criminal Justice System Doesn’t)

The following is adapted from Unthinkable. On April 28, 2020, my mother was killed while she was out for her evening walk. I’m certainly not out to bash the criminal justice system, but the reality is that, in my mother’s case, that system failed to deliver anything even close to the measure of accountability acceptable…