Wrongful death cases we may take
When someone dies because of another person's carelessness or misconduct, Virginia law allows a claim on behalf of the family. We are a small firm and take a limited number of these cases, so we ask families to answer the questions below before we schedule a consultation.
We know this is hard. It takes about ten minutes. Answer what you can; "not sure" is always an acceptable answer.
Preliminary inquiry only — no attorney-client relationship
Completing a questionnaire, submitting a form, calling, or emailing the firm is a preliminary inquiry. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Thomas H. Roberts & Associates, PC does not represent you unless and until the firm agrees to do so in a written, signed fee agreement.
Consistent with Rule 1.18 of the Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct, we treat the information you provide in a preliminary inquiry as confidential, and we will not use or reveal it except as those Rules permit. That confidentiality does not make you our client, does not mean we have agreed to take your matter, and does not mean the firm is protecting any deadline for you. You alone remain responsible for every statute of limitations, notice requirement, and filing deadline until the firm has agreed to represent you in a written, signed fee agreement.
So that we can first check for conflicts of interest, please share only the basic facts needed to evaluate your matter, and do not send confidential information or documents until we have spoken.
Cases we look for
- Deaths caused by car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, or bicycle crashes
- Deaths caused by unsafe property, dangerous products, or violent acts a business should have prevented
- Deaths in police custody, in jail, or during police encounters
- Deaths where the person responsible has been criminally charged
Cases we usually can't take
- Deaths more than two years ago
- Deaths that happened outside Virginia
- Deaths at work where the only claim is against the employer (these usually go through workers' compensation)
- Cases where the person who died was at fault for the crash or incident
Every case is different, and these are general guides, not rules. If you are unsure, complete the questions and we will review them. Submitting this form does not make you our client.
