• Vastly experienced fatal accident solicitors
• Successfully pursuing similar claims since 1993
• Sympathetic understanding of your circumstances
• Simple claims process so you can focus on other things
• Free, independent legal advice during your initial consultation

If you’ve lost a loved one or family member due to a fatal accident or wrongful death, we can scarcely imagine the emotional turmoil you’re currently experiencing. While compensation might not be your priority at this difficult time, it is something we can handle for you to help lift some of the financial and administrative burdens you may be facing, giving you more time and space to grieve.

You might be wondering whether the loss of your loved one is considered a fatal accident in legal terms. If they died as the result of the negligence of another person or an organisation in an unexpected or unforeseen event, that is a fatal accident and you may be entitled to compensation.

There were 29 fatal workplace accidents in Northern Ireland in 2021/22 and 55 deaths on our roads in 2022. Some of the types of fatal accidents that often lead to claims include:

Fatal Car Accident
When your loved one was a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian who lost their life in a road traffic accident due to someone else’s negligence. In these circumstances, you can make a road traffic accident claim.

Fatal Accident at Work
If your loved one lost their life in an accident at work, you can claim compensation. This includes fatalities caused by falling from heights, crushing, farming accidents, construction accidents, chemical misuse and accidents involving machinery.

Industrial Disease Fatality
You can claim if your loved one died due to an industrial disease they suffered as a result of their employment. This includes diseases and chronic illnesses linked to exposure to asbestos, loud noises, chemicals and vibrations.

Fatal Medical Negligence
Did your loved one die as a result of medical negligence? If misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose an illness, mistakes in A&E or an error by an anaesthetist contributed to their death, you can make a fatal medical negligence claim.

Public Place Fatal Accident
If your loved one lost their life in an accident in a public place because of negligence, you’re eligible to make a public place fatal accident claim. This could involve accidents at theme parks, horse riding falls, dog attacks and restaurant allergy negligence.

If the circumstances in which you lost your loved one are not mentioned above, you will still be able to make a fatal accident claim if they died due to somebody else’s negligence. Please get in touch to discuss your situation in a free, no-obligation consultation.

Making a fatal accident claim will not be the first thing you think of when you’ve lost a loved one in tragic circumstances. But as you try to adjust to life without them, the compensation you deserve will help you to avoid further hardship at an already difficult time.

As well as being compensated for your loved one’s death, you’re also entitled to compensation for their contribution to your family. This could include the income they provided or support such as childcare or housekeeping that your family has now lost. You should also claim for funeral costs, legal fees and any other expenses you’ve encountered through no fault of your own.

Depending on the circumstances of your loved one’s death and whether anyone is facing criminal charges, a claim might also help you to feel that the negligent party is being held accountable for the loss you’ve suffered.

If you’ve lost a close family member or loved one in a fatal accident, you’re eligible to make a fatal accident claim. You can claim if the person who lost their life was:

• Your husband or wife (even if you’ve divorced or annulled your marriage)
• Your partner (and you had been living together for at least two years at the time of the accident)
• Your civil partner or former civil partner
• Your child or stepchild
• Your brother or sister
• Your mother or father (or someone who you treated like a parent)
• Your grandmother or grandfather

We’ve designed our fatal accident claims process to be simple and straightforward. At a time when you’re coming to terms with a devastating loss and may be going through a highly emotional inquest, our experienced fatal accident claim solicitors will support you through all the legal proceedings relating to your loved one’s death. Here’s what you can expect:

Step 1: Contact Reid Black
Call us or send an email to discuss your situation in a free, no-obligation consultation. Once you’ve taken this important first step, our fatal accident claim solicitors can start to share your legal and administrative burden.

Step 2: Gathering Information
We will then start gathering as much information as we can to support your claim. This will include evidence relating to the fatal accident as well as the financial impact on your life.

Step 3: Coroner Inquest and/or Criminal Proceedings
Our solicitors will support you through any legal proceedings relating to the fatal accident. The outcome of the proceedings may be a conclusive legal verdict on who was responsible for your loved one losing their life.

Step 4: Compensation Negotiations
Next, we will use the outcome of the legal proceedings and the information we have gathered to negotiate the maximum compensation to which you are entitled from the negligent party or their insurer.

Step 5: Compensation Payout
Once we have agreed on a compensation amount, we will oversee the payout to make sure that it is paid to you promptly to give you extra financial support at this difficult time.

You usually have three years from the date of the fatal accident in which to make your claim. This time limit may be extended in certain circumstances. These include:

• You were a child under 18 at the time of the accident, in which case you must claim before your 21st birthday.
• You lacked the mental capacity to claim within three years, in which case no time limits apply.
• It was not known that negligence resulted in your loved one’s death within the three-year time frame, in which you can claim within three years of becoming aware of the negligence.

In all cases, we would recommend arranging a free initial consultation and starting your claim as soon as possible.

Your fatal accident compensation claim will include both general damages and special damages. General damages are compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve suffered directly from the loss of your loved one. Special damages relate to financial hardship you’re experiencing because of their death, such as the loss of their earnings and paying their funeral costs.

Additionally, you may also claim a bereavement award under the Fatal Accidents (Northern Ireland) Order of 1977. This is a sum of £17,200 awarded to bereaved spouses, civil partners and parents of children aged under 18.

We understand that the financial impact of your loved one’s loss may be instant. If that is the case for you, we will seek an interim payment on your behalf. This is a partial compensation payment that will give you a financial cushion while we pursue your claim for full compensation.

We’ve got a wealth of experience of pursuing fatal accident compensation claims in Northern Ireland, including acting for the family of Steven McTeague, who lost his life as a result of health and safety failings at the Terex plant in Omagh. Our experience of dealing with PSNI investigations and Public Prosecution Service decisions will help us to support you as we secure the compensation you deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal accident in Northern Ireland, we’re here to support you as you seek compensation for their wrongful death. Arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our fatal accident solicitors today.