Wrongful Death: What to Do When Your Neighbor Kills Your Pet?

Everybody has that one neighbor who absolutely hates either dogs or cats. If one’s pet dies because of someone else’s intentional harm or negligence, is it possible to hire a lawyer and sue for the wrongful death of that pet? Of course it is possible — anyone can sue whomever they would like for anything imaginable. The real question is if the chances of winning are high enough that it is worth getting the best lawyer in St. George, Utah to help get back all of the losses incurred in the wrongful death of a pet.

Determine How Much to Sue For

While there are many different things that one can sue for, a good place to start is the cost to replace the pet (if it is a competition/circus pet the cost could be even greater). Finding how much a trained pet costs at the local St. George animal shelter would be a great place to look. The next thing that is harder to prove is emotional distress: The price in dollars that would help make up for one’s relationship with the animal. This is a lot harder to prove, and is not always granted.

Determine How Much It Will Cost

After figuring how much money one could possibly gain from a wrongful death lawsuit like this, the next step is to determine how much the lawsuit will cost. No matter who wins the lawsuit, in places like St. George and the rest of the United States both sides pay their own legal fees. In lots of cases, different sides of the suit will try and raise the prices of the lawyer fees so that they settle for an undisclosed amount lower than what the person suing would like.

So if the owners of a cat that gets run over is suing for the price of a new cat, most likely the lawyer fees will cost more than the price of a new cat. Not only will lawyer fees need to be accounted for, but if the plaintiff is missing work while in court and not getting paid, that is another expensive that needs to be accounted for. While it is possible to include losses from missing work in the process, it is not guaranteed that the plaintiff will be granted compensation from the court.

Decide if It Is Worth It

Suing someone is not something that should be taken lightly. It is a time-consuming process that can not only cost a lot of money for both sides, but more importantly it also adds stress to everyone involved in the processes. Before making a final decision on if it is smart to go ahead with a wrongful death lawsuit, consulting with a lawyer in St. George is a great place to start.

Marc Lodmell is a legal writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry. Follow on Twitter.