Wrongful Death Attorney Salem

Wrongful Death Attorneys in Salem Illinois

Wrongful Death Attorney Salem Illinois. Because of the negligent and dangerous actions of an individual, business, or corporation, your loved one has passed. No amount of money or compensation will ever bring your loved one back, but it can help you and your family recover during this difficult and trying time. While you and your loved ones heal and take time to honor your loved one, our wrongful death attorneys in Salem can and will fight on your family’s behalf to ensure that those who caused the passing of your loved one are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

The Salem Wrongful Death Attorneys at Hassakis Law have over 60 years of experience successfully fighting for and defending Salem, Illinois families during and after tragic accidents. Hassakis Law understands how families needlessly suffer after the wrongful death of your loved one, and we are dedicated to providing exceptional legal counseling and advice in your wrongful death case. The moment you contact us for services, we will aggressively litigate and fight against those who have so severely harmed your family, and ensure that you and your loved ones are fully provided for and protected during your case, and afterward. We will ensure that the memory of your loved one is honored, and that you and your family are compensated for your loss.

What Constitutes a Wrongful Death Claim?

The Illinois Compiled Statutes for Wrongful Death States,

“Sec. 1. Whenever the death of a person shall be caused by wrongful act, neglect or default, and the act, neglect or default is such as would, if death had not ensued, have entitled the party injured to maintain an action and recover damages in respect thereof, then and in every such case the person who or company or corporation which would have been liable if death had not ensued, shall be liable to an action for damages, notwithstanding the death of the person injured, and although the death shall have been caused under such circumstances as amount in law to felony. No action may be brought under this Act if the decedent had brought a cause of action with respect to the same underlying incident or occurrence which was settled or on which judgment was rendered. ”

When you’ve lost someone you care deeply for because of the actions of a negligent party, and would not have if that accident had not occurred, then a wrongful death claim can be pursued. To successfully pursue a wrongful death claim, these criteria often must be met:

  • The Passing of A Loved One – For a wrongful death case to be pursued, the passing of a loved one must be due to anothers negligence or an accident. A wrongful death case cannot be pursued before someone’s passing.
  • The Negligence of another, Or Willful Intent to Cause Harm – Wrongful death claims require that the responsible party acted negligently, or willfully, and that the accident that caused the death could have been avoided.
  • Family Members are Suffering Financially – Family members who relied on the financial assistance of the loved one are now suffering because of the loss of the loved one and their income.
  • Family Members are Suffering from the Loss – The family is now suffering from the loss of their loved one, and is now eligible to seek financial compensation for their hardship.

If tragedy has struck your family, and you need to know which steps to take to best honor the memory of your loved one and protect your family, our wrongful death attorneys in Salem can and will assist you in pursuing a wrongful death claim. We care about Illinois families and the hardships they are placed in when the death of a loved one occurs. Our Salem Wrongful Death Attorneys can help you and your family recover.

What types of Wrongful Death Claims do you Pursue?

Accidents or negligent actions can happen anywhere and because of this, a wrongful death case can be filed in every category of personal injury law. Whether it be a death caused by a car wreck, boat accident, tractor trailer crash, or even a work accident, our wrongful death lawyers have over 60 years of experience and excellence defending the families of loved ones who have passed because of negligence and avoidable accidents. Our Wrongful Death Lawyers pursue these types of wrongful death cases and more:

  • Truck/Trailer Accident – Tractor Trailers are massive vehicles and the drivers must follow certain protocols when driving. If they don’t, and your loved one passed because of their negligence, you can pursue a wrongful death claim against the driver and their company.
  • Car Crashes – Vehicular Accidents, when severe enough, can cause the death of a loved one. When negligence is involved, you can pursue damages against the responsible party.
  • Work Related Accidents – Work-related accidents are tragic avoidable accidents. There is always a trail of negligence that can be followed in these cases.
  • Premise Liability – If an accident occurred on someone’s property, and they had a responsibility to keep the property in a safe condition for the public, then you can pursue a wrongful death claim against the person or company.
  • Nursing Home Neglect – If your loved one passed because of inadequate or negligent care, we will help you pursue a legal judgement against the company to the fullest extent of the law.
  • Medical Malpractice -Doctors and Medical Professionals make mistakes, but when that mistake costs your loved one their life, they hospital and the doctor should absolutely be held accountable.
  • Boating Accidents – While more rare than car or truck accidents, boat accidents are just as deadly. If your loved one perished because of an accident involving a boat, and negligence was involved, our wrongful death lawyers in Salem, can help you.
  • Railroad Accidents – Train related accidents are often fatal. If your loved one passed after an incident involving a train, you can and should pursue a judgment against the company responsible.
  • Product Defects – Before a product can be sold to consumers, it must be made so that it isn’t dangerous for their consumption or use. If the product was defective, and this negligence was known prior to it being sold, the makers of the product can be held liable for a wrongful death claim.
  • Personal Injury Accidents – Any personal injury accident that resulted in the loss of your loved one can possibly result in a wrongful death claim. If there was negligence involved, our wrongful death attorneys in Salem can help you pursue your claim.

If you have lost an irreplaceable member of your family because of a negligent accident, and they passed for another reason but negligence was involved, it is still important to call our wrongful death lawyers because we pursue all claims regarding the wrongful passing of loved ones in Illinois. Our Wrongful Death Attorneys can and will fight on your family’s behalf.

What types of Compensation can my Family receive for the Salem Wrongful Death?

Placing a monetary value on the life of a loved one can be a difficult process. No amount of money or legal compensation will ever replace the loss you and your family are feeling because of your loved one but taking an accurate account of their monetary value and their applicable skills/trade proficiencies can help in estimating how much your family can receive in compensation for your loved one’s passing. Here are several factors that help in this decision:

  • Age
  • Earning Capacity
  • Health Prior to Death
  • Income at Time of Death
  • Age and Circumstances of Dependents
  • Education Level and Training
  • Medical, Legal and Other Expenses Incurred because of the Passing
  • Lost Pension
  • Health Insurance
  • Loss of Companionship

When the dangerous and careless actions of another take your family from you, you can receive compensation for the loss of their life, their income, the loss of your companionship, and any other hardship you and your loved ones are placed in because of their passing. When you are ready to pursue their wrongful death claim, our Salem attorneys can help.

What If my Family Member was Partially responsible for their Accident?

This is known as Comparative Fault Factoring. If your loved one was at fault for more than 50% of the reason that the accident occurred, pursuing damages may be incredibly difficult in the case. However, if they were not more than 50% responsible for the accident, a wrongful death claim can and should be pursued. Their percentage of fault in the accident does, however, reduce the amount of compensation that can be received in the claim.

Illinois Compiled Statutes state,
“Contributory fault” means any fault on the part of the plaintiff (including but not limited to negligence, assumption of the risk, or willful and wanton misconduct) which is a proximate cause of the death, bodily injury to person, or physical damage to property for which recovery is sought.”

The Statute goes further to state,

“In all actions on account of death, bodily injury or physical damage to property in which recovery is predicated upon fault, the contributory fault chargeable to the plaintiff shall be compared with the fault of all tortfeasors whose fault was a proximate cause of the death, injury, loss, or damage for which recovery is sought. The plaintiff shall be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is more than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought. The plaintiff shall not be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is not more than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought, but any economic or non-economic damages allowed shall be diminished in the proportion to the amount of fault attributable to the plaintiff.”

Why Should I choose the Salem Wrongful Death Lawyers of Hassakis Law to Pursue my Wrongful Death Claim?

The Wrongful Death Lawyers at Hassakis Law believe in aggressively pursuing wrongful death claims for Illinois residents. Because of the negligent actions of a business, corporation, or the negligent actions of an individual, you have lost an important member of your family. While no amount of money will ever replace your lost family member, we can make sure that those who are responsible for their passing are held to account. We care about Illinois families because we are a part of Illinois. When you choose our , you are choosing local attorneys who have a stake in the success and livelihood of their communities. When you are ready to pursue justice for your lost loved one, call or contact our Wrongful Death Attorneys in Illinois.

Spanish translation services available. Servicios de Traducción en Español Disponibles.
Greek translation services available.

Service Areas


Down to earth, knowledgeable, handled my legal issue in a timely fashion. 😎

- William Rauen

I was referred to Hassakis & Hassakis by a past client and was assured I would be treated right. From day one all of their staff were extremely prof …

- jose delgado

I would like to say that Shane Carnine has been the best lawyer that I've had the pleasure to deal with. Shane always returned any phone call or ema …

- Matt Canon

View All Testimonials

Law Firm Recent Updates

view all articles

Keep up with the latest firm news and personal injury law insights from the Hassakis & Hassakis Southern Illinois personal injury lawyers trusted by Illinois families for generations.

Choosing a personal injury lawyer to represent you in your Southern Illinois car accident, workers' compensation, medical malpractice, or other type of injury case is no minor decision. You need a responsive, compassionate, knowledgeable team you can trust. Hassakis & Hassakis is that team.

Discover why thousands of Southern Illinois injury victims and their families have counted on Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C.'s personal injury lawyers to help them recover. Learn more about who we are and what we do by checking out our latest updates.