Our attorneys have represented surviving family members in Georgia wrongful death matters since 1996.

wrongful death lawyer Morrow, GA

If you have lost a loved one to negligence, Georgia gives surviving family members the right to bring a wrongful death claim. While no amount of compensation can replace a loved one, taking civil legal action holds the person responsible accountable for their careless or reckless actions. Let our Morrow, GA wrongful death lawyer handle the legal process so you can focus on grieving and healing.

Burrow & Associates has represented injured Georgians since 1996 and takes all personal injury cases on contingency. Families pay no attorney fee unless compensation is recovered. Initial consultations are free.

Wrongful Death Lawyer Morrow

A wrongful death claim is a civil action brought after one person’s death is caused by another party’s negligent or wrongful conduct. Surviving family members may seek compensation under Georgia law. The claim sits in addition to any criminal case that may arise from the same conduct, and the two proceed on separate tracks with different burdens of proof.

Georgia measures wrongful death damages by the full value of the decedent’s life, which includes both economic and non-economic components. A separate estate claim may also be brought for medical expenses, funeral costs, and the decedent’s pain and suffering before death. Our Morrow wrongful death attorneys can explain how these claims interact.

Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Morrow

Wrongful death claims arise from many different underlying events. The cause shapes the investigation, the evidence, and the parties potentially responsible. Each case is different. Below are the wrongful death matters our firm handles most often for Morrow-area families.

  • Car accidents. Most wrongful death claims in our practice arise from motor vehicle crashes. Negligent driving, impairment, and speed are common factors. We investigate crash reconstruction reports, insurance coverage, and any contributing road conditions.
  • Truck accidents. Crashes involving commercial vehicles tend to result in catastrophic injuries and frequent fatalities. Federal regulations, multiple defendants, and significantly larger insurance policies all factor into these matters.
  • Motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists struck by passenger vehicles often suffer fatal injuries. Insurance adjusters sometimes assert bias against motorcyclists, and we counter that with physical evidence and witness statements.
  • DUI Accidents. Impaired driving deaths often support punitive damages alongside the wrongful death claim. The criminal case proceeds in parallel with the civil action.
  • Dog bites. Severe attacks, particularly those involving children, sometimes prove fatal. Dog owner liability, prior aggression history, and homeowner’s insurance coverage all come into play.
  • Pedestrian fatalities. Pedestrians struck by vehicles in crosswalks, intersections, and along roads often suffer fatal injuries. Right-of-way analysis, driver attention, and visibility conditions become central to the claim.
  • Medical malpractice. When a death follows a misdiagnosis, surgical error, medication mistake, or failure to monitor, wrongful death may be pursued alongside the malpractice claim itself. These cases require coordinated medical and legal review.
  • Premises liability fatalities. Drownings, falls from height, electrocutions, and other property-related deaths can support wrongful death claims when the property owner’s negligence contributed. We investigate maintenance records, security camera footage, and prior incidents.
  • Workplace and construction accidents. Fatal job site accidents may involve both workers’ compensation and a third-party wrongful death claim against contractors, equipment manufacturers, or property owners. OSHA records and safety inspection history often become relevant evidence.
  • Defective products. Vehicle defects, dangerous medical devices, faulty consumer products, and contaminated food can all cause death and support product liability claims combined with wrongful death.

Why Choose Burrow & Associates as my Wrongful Death Lawyer in Morrow, GA?

A Georgia Practice With Three Decades of Negligence Experience

Our firm was started by Darrell Burrow in 1996. He had been licensed in Georgia since 1992. Before opening the firm, he completed undergraduate work in Virginia, earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Alabama, clerked for a Circuit Court Judge in Alabama, and then practiced plaintiff-side litigation in South Georgia. Darrell has personally handled more than 30,000 personal injury and bankruptcy matters across his career. The firm holds an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer review tier in the legal profession. Our personal injury lawyer in Morrow, GA serves clients from Duluth, Morrow, Conyers, Athens, Kennesaw, and Gainesville.

Carefully Prepared Claims and Demonstrated Results

Wrongful death matters require both sensitivity and rigorous preparation. The grief of the family does not pause for the legal process. Our work proceeds at a pace that respects that reality while protecting the legal claim. Across personal injury and wrongful death matters, our firm has recovered millions of dollars for clients. Filing wrongful death claims requires close attention to who can bring the claim and what damages are available. Cases proceed on contingency.

Understanding Wrongful Death Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Wrongful Death Cases

Wrongful death compensation in Georgia spans two distinct claims. The first compensates the surviving family for the full value of the life lost. The second compensates the estate for losses suffered by the decedent before death, such as medical expenses, funeral costs, and any conscious pain and suffering experienced between the injury and death.

Recoverable wrongful death damages in Georgia generally include:

  • The full value of the decedent’s life, including both economic and non-economic components
  • Medical expenses related to the injury that caused the death
  • Funeral and burial costs
  • Pain and suffering experienced by the decedent before death, brought through the estate
  • Lost income and lost services the decedent would have provided to the family
  • Punitive damages where the conduct rises to willful misconduct or conscious indifference, such as drunk driving
  • Emotional distress compensation where applicable to family members under Georgia law

Georgia applies a modified comparative negligence framework to wrongful death cases. Recovery may be reduced if the decedent shared fault in the underlying incident. A finding of more than 50 percent fault bars recovery entirely. The framework adds complexity in cases involving roadway hazards, defective products, or shared driving responsibility. Establishing the fault percentage often requires crash reconstruction, witness testimony, and detailed evidence review.

What Are Important Aspects of a Wrongful Death Case?

Wrongful death cases are decided on more than just the underlying liability. The question of who has the legal right to bring the claim, is the first issue. Georgia has a specific hierarchy. The surviving spouse holds the first right, followed by surviving children, then surviving parents, and finally the estate administrator. Distribution of any recovery follows a similar structure. These threshold issues often need to be resolved before the substantive case can move forward.

  • Determining standing under Georgia’s wrongful death hierarchy
  • Investigation of the underlying liability theory, including any criminal proceedings
  • Coordination with the estate administrator or executor regarding the separate estate claim
  • Preservation of medical records documenting the decedent’s treatment between injury and death
  • Identification of all available insurance, including the responsible party’s policy and any applicable umbrella coverage

What Is The Wrongful Death Case Timeline?

Wrongful death cases sometimes move slowly. The criminal case, if any, may need to develop before the civil case can build its evidentiary foundation. The estate must be opened in probate court before the estate claim can move forward. Some matters resolve within a year. Others extend over multiple years.

  • Initial investigation, evidence preservation, and consultation with surviving family
  • Probate court opening and appointment of administrator or executor
  • Medical records collection and review of the cause of death
  • Demand and negotiation with the responsible party’s insurer
  • Filing the wrongful death and estate claims if pre-suit resolution does not occur
  • Discovery, depositions, and mediation
  • Trial when no fair resolution can be reached through alternative means

What Should You Bring to Your Wrongful Death Consultation?

Bringing documentation related to the death helps us evaluate the claim early. None of these items is strictly required for the first meeting. Anything missing can be obtained later.

  • The death certificate and autopsy report, if completed
  • Police accident report or incident report from the underlying event
  • Medical records related to the injury and the cause of death
  • Insurance information for the decedent and any responsible parties
  • Documentation of the decedent’s income, occupation, and family contributions
  • Names and contact information for witnesses

The initial consultation is free and confidential. We use the time to review the circumstances, explain the wrongful death framework under Georgia law, and outline the path forward for the family.

What Are Important Georgia Legal Resources for Wrongful Death Cases?

Wrongful death claims in Georgia operate under both civil and probate frameworks. A two-year statute of limitations applies in most circumstances, though the deadline can shift depending on the underlying conduct. Modified comparative negligence governs the recovery analysis. The resources below provide background on the legal structures families encounter.

Reach Out to Burrow & Associates to Schedule a Consultation

Wrongful death claims have a two-year statute of limitations in Georgia. That deadline arrives sooner than most families expect. Our consultations are free and confidential. Cases proceed on a contingency basis, so no attorney fee is owed unless compensation is recovered. The first meeting covers the circumstances of the death, the legal framework that applies, and the practical next steps. Surviving family members in Morrow can contact us to schedule a confidential review.