When someone you love has died as a direct result of another individual's actions, it may be within your legal rights to file a wrongful death lawsuit—even if the responsible party already faces criminal charges for the incident. The best way to go about this is to find seasoned personal injury attorneys who have experience with cases similar to yours and can guide you through this process from beginning to end.
According to Missouri news outlet KY3 News, the parents of a 10-year-old Springfield girl who was kidnapped and murdered in February have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged killer.
The source reports that Hailey Owens was kidnapped on February 18 and found dead hours later. Law enforcement officials arrested Craig Wood in connection with the incident and charged him with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and child kidnapping.
"Wood's actions were grossly negligent, reckless, intentional and/or outrageous, making no effort to mitigate the damages or avoid the harm to Hailey Owens or [her parents], and acting with evil motive and reckless indifference to the rights of Hailey Owens and her parents," states the lawsuit, as noted by the news outlet.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified financial damages for costs associated with the victim's death and punitive damages to punish the defendant and deter him and others from similar conduct.
To determine if you have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Missouri, it is in your best interest to find skilled personal injury lawyers in Kansas City as soon as possible. These experienced professionals can assist you through the complex legal process and help you recover damages to which you may be entitled.