Colonel Mustard In The Kitchen With The Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Understanding the world of lawyers, courtrooms, and American law in general can be tricky, especially if you find yourself in need of an attorney to pursue a lawsuit against someone else. Knowing how to react and what rights you have is extremely important moving forward due to the specific nature of the law, and at times acting prematurely can end up ruining your entire case. With talk of "parties of interest", "damages", and other legal terms, it may be best to examine a wrongful death lawsuit through a simpler lens to gain a greater understanding. By taking a second look a wrongful death case through the eyes of Colonel Mustard from the classic board game Clue, you can hope to better grasp the legal terms and verbiage that are often used by attorneys:
Real Parties of Interest
If Professor Plum is simply seeking the wrongful death suit to profit off the untimely death of his friend Mr. Boddy, he's in for a surprise: American law will not even entertain his case. In fact, the law makes clear that he must qualify as a "real party of interest" in the death, a fancy way of stating that he'll likely need to either be an immediate family member or have been financially dependent upon Mr. Boddy at the time of his death in order to file a lawsuit, like his other friend, Colonel Mustard, a relative of Mr. Boddy's who lived at his estate.
Who Killed Mr. Boddy?
The ultimate question that needs to be answered within the game of Clue is simply: Who killed Mr. Boddy? Understanding who perpetrated the dark deed and why is the most important question that can be answered because it lays the framework for all other questions. As Colonel Mustard prepares the lawsuit in his wrongful death claim, he must first determine clearly who was responsible for the death.
If the death was a result of pure accident, brought on by a mishap of no one's fault, it's likely that the Colonel will not be able to win a wrongful death case. If, however, there was foul play afoot (whether brought on by negligence, medical malpractice, or even an intentional murder) he is likely to be legally compensated for the death.
Colonel Mustard's Damages
In order to get even a cent from the circumstances surrounding Mr. Boddy's death, a judge will want to gain a better understanding of the damages that Colonel Mustard may have suffered as a result of the untimely incident. The most common forms of awarded damages come in the form of economic and non-economic damages, which includes coverage for related medical bills, funeral expenses, and loss of benefits (economic) as well as emotional and mental pain that may have been caused by the incident (non-economic). Additionally and in rare cases, the court may award Colonel Mustard punitive damages, which is a fee imposed upon the individual or group who caused the death as a punishment for the negligence they committed.
Completing the Puzzle
Once he has all the details figured out and legal documents together, Colonel Mustard has a much better chance at winning his wrongful death lawsuit. If you are looking to pursue a claim, consider talking to a wrongful death attorney as soon as you realize that you might have a case on your hands-- an expert can help you put the pieces together.
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