Wrongful Death Settlement Timeline

Answer:

We’re often asked by clients how long wrongful death cases take to resolve. Every case is different. First, liability must be argued and determined, and then damages are a separate and distinct measure. It can be more complex if the decedent had income and assets to factor in; at that point, we would have an economist get involved. There are also several additional steps because, with a wrongful death matter, there needs to be an estate opened up, so we often work with estate lawyers to get that rolling. When a case is going to be wrapped up, because the person who was initially harmed is no longer with us, we sometimes need surrogate court’s approval for the final resolution and to have that then be processed, depending on how it’s resolved, through the estate.