When you lose a loved one, especially when you believe it is at the hands of another individual, you are thrown into a world of chaos, and you feel like you have little to no control over the world. It is virtually impossible to control your grief or the grief of the rest of your family, and you can't do anything to bring your lost loved one back.

When your life has changed like this, you must make a decision: to file a wrongful death claim or not. In the event that you decide to move forward with a lawsuit, you will need to build the strongest possible case to increase the chances of financial recovery and justice against the individual responsible. Here is a look at your next steps.

1. Gather and Preserve Evidence 

To build a strong case, you must have evidence to support your case. The type of evidence that you will to gather and preserve includes hospital and funeral bills, proof of your loved one's income prior to his or her death, and any other financial losses that will affect your future as a result of his or her death.

2. Be Careful Who You Talk to

As you move forward with a wrongful death suit, it is important that you watch who you talk to and what you say. For example, if you talk to the insurance company, you will want to avoid saying the wrong thing, as they will try to trip you up so that they don't have to pay you as much, or anything at all. You will also want to be careful with what is said on social media networks, as this is public information and can be used against you in the future. Ironically, this brings us to the next potential step.

3. Consider Hiring a Wrongful Death Attorney

While it isn't completely impossible to navigate a wrongful death claim on your own, it will be a lot easier to do so if you have an experienced wrongful death attorney at your side. Think about it this way: the other party will have a lawyer, so shouldn't you make sure that you mount the strongest possible defense? More often than not, that means hiring an attorney because he or she is going to know exactly how to proceed, who to pull favors with, and how to fight for the maximum amount of compensation – all while protecting your interests.

To learn more about the wrongful death claims procedure and to discuss the details of your case, schedule a consultation with a wrongful death lawyer.