Wrongful Death Attorney in Atlanta

Over 100 Years of Combined Experience, Now Fighting for Atlanta Families

When a family loses someone due to another person’s negligence, the legal process shouldn’t add to that burden. MAS Law brings over 100 years of combined personal injury experience to Atlanta wrongful death cases, led locally by supervising attorney Chad Marchand. We handle the investigation, the insurance companies, and the courtroom preparation so families can focus on what matters most.

We serve clients throughout Atlanta and Georgia on a contingency fee basis: no attorney fees unless we recover for you. Free case reviews are available 24/7.

If your family has lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, call our Atlanta wrongful death attorneys today at (470) 531-1176 for a free, no-obligation case review.

What Georgia Law Means by “Wrongful Death”

A wrongful death claim is a civil action, entirely separate from any criminal prosecution. While the state may pursue criminal charges, the family pursues accountability and compensation through the civil courts. Georgia’s wrongful death framework, governed by O.C.G.A. Title 51, measures recovery by the full value of the life of the deceased, covering both economic contributions and non-economic losses like companionship, guidance, and the enjoyment of life’s milestones.

Wrongful death claims are also distinct from survival actions. A wrongful death claim compensates the family for the value of the life lost. A survival action, pursued by the estate, addresses the decedent’s pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering. Georgia families often pursue both simultaneously.

Who Can File & How Long You Have

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2, Georgia law establishes a clear filing hierarchy. The right to bring a wrongful death claim belongs first to the surviving spouse, then to the children if there is no surviving spouse, then to the parents if there are no surviving spouse or children, and finally to the personal representative of the estate when no statutory heir is available. The surviving spouse is entitled to no less than one-third of any recovery, regardless of how many children there are.

Georgia’s statute of limitations gives families two years from the date of death to file under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. That deadline can shift in certain situations: when the victim was a minor, when a government entity shares liability (requiring a special ante-litem notice filed even sooner), or when the cause of death wasn’t immediately discoverable. Waiting to consult an attorney can put those deadlines at risk.

Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Atlanta

A wrongful death lawsuit applies whenever a person’s death would not have occurred but for the defendant’s negligent, reckless, or intentional act. Our Atlanta wrongful death lawyers handle a wide range of cases, including:

• Fatal car and truck accidents: Crashes on I-285, I-85, and throughout the Atlanta metro area, including collisions with commercial carriers
• Motorcycle accidents: Fatalities resulting from driver inattention or unsafe road conditions
• Workplace and construction site fatalities: Deaths caused by safety failures or third-party negligence on the job
• Premises liability: Deaths resulting from dangerous property conditions an owner knew about or should have addressed
• Medical malpractice: Fatalities caused by a healthcare provider’s deviation from the accepted standard of care
• Defective products: Deaths caused by a product that failed due to design, manufacturing, or warning defects

We have experience taking on large commercial carriers and insurance companies, and we’re prepared to identify every liable party in complex multi-defendant cases.

Damages Available to Georgia Wrongful Death Families

Georgia law allows families to pursue both economic and non-economic losses. Economic damages account for the decedent’s projected earnings, benefits, and household contributions such as childcare and caregiving. Non-economic damages address what the victim lost by not living a full life: companionship, guidance, shared experiences, and the milestones that will never come. Building credible non-economic loss evidence typically requires financial experts, economists, and family testimony.

Funeral costs and final medical expenses are generally claimed by the estate as part of a survival action. In cases involving willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, or oppression, punitive damages may also be available under Georgia law, though they require separate evidentiary support. There is no fixed settlement amount in wrongful death cases. Value depends on liability clarity, insurance coverage, the decedent’s age and career trajectory, and the strength of the evidence our team assembles.

How MAS Law Handles a Wrongful Death Case

Prompt action after a fatal incident is critical. Evidence disappears, surveillance footage is overwritten, and witnesses become harder to locate. Our team begins investigating immediately: securing scene evidence, obtaining 911 and dispatch records, identifying all potentially liable parties, and retaining the right experts before anything is lost.

Protecting Your Family from Insurance Pressure

We handle all communications with insurance companies on the family’s behalf. Insurers often move quickly to offer low settlements before the full scope of damages is known. A file built for trial is our strongest negotiating tool, and the recoveries we’ve achieved in personal injury cases, including a $2,400,000 jury verdict and a $1,810,000 settlement, reflect what meticulous case preparation can help produce. Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule also means that even if the decedent bore some share of fault, the family can still recover as long as that share was less than 50 percent, with damages reduced proportionally.

From Investigation Through Resolution

Most cases resolve through negotiated settlement. When they don’t, we’re prepared to take the case to Fulton County civil courts or wherever the claim needs to go. Clients hear from us at every stage, and we’re available around the clock.

Why Atlanta Families Choose MAS Law

Atlanta is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the South. Our legal team serves clients in English, Arabic, Spanish, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi, removing the communication barriers that compound grief for many families. That isn’t a secondary feature: it’s a commitment to helping every client fully understand their rights and their case.

Our attorneys have earned recognition from Super Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Martindale-Hubbell Preeminent, Avvo 10/10, and D Magazine Best Lawyers. We return calls promptly, keep clients informed of every development, and visit clients who can’t travel to our office. Same-day appointments are available.

Talk to a Wrongful Death Lawyer in Atlanta at No Cost

Wrongful death cases involve strict deadlines and complex evidentiary demands. The sooner our team can begin preserving evidence and evaluating your family’s claim, the more effectively we can assess that claim. Free case reviews are available 24/7, and there are no attorney fees unless we recover for you.

Call MAS Law at (470) 531-1176 to speak with a wrongful death attorney in Atlanta today.