What Is the Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death in Arkansas? - Joseph Gates

From Gates Law Firm PLLC - What Is the Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death in Arkansas? This episode breaks down the filing deadline for wrongful death claims in Arkansas, including the general three-year rule under Arkansas Code 16-62-102, the shorter timeline that can apply in medical malpractice cases under Arkansas Code 16-114-203, and the critical exceptions families need to know. Little Rock wrongful death attorney Joseph Gates explains how timing can affect a claim, why the date of death matters, and what can happen when a lawsuit is filed too late.

Listeners will learn who can file a wrongful death claim in Arkansas, how the personal representative of the estate or heirs-at-law may bring the case, and why all eligible beneficiaries must be included. The episode also explores the different damages that may be available in a wrongful death lawsuit, including medical bills, funeral and burial costs, lost income, loss of companionship, mental anguish, grief, pain and suffering, and lost earning capacity. It also covers how Arkansas comparative fault rules under Arkansas Code 16-64-122 can reduce or bar recovery depending on the deceased person’s share of fault.

Joseph Gates of Gates Law Firm PLLC also discusses the types of incidents that commonly lead to wrongful death claims across Arkansas, including car accidents, trucking collisions involving 18-wheelers on Interstate 30 and Interstate 40, medical errors, defective consumer products, and workplace accidents. The conversation highlights practical steps families can take to protect a claim, such as obtaining the death certificate, preserving medical records, requesting police or incident reports, identifying the estate’s personal representative, and acting quickly before evidence disappears and deadlines expire.

The episode also introduces Joseph Gates, Esq., founder of Gates Law Firm PLLC in Little Rock, a trial lawyer who earned his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville and has represented injured individuals and grieving families throughout Arkansas for more than a decade. It touches on his background with Taylor King & Associates and Paul Byrd Law Firm, PLLC, his involvement with the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, American Bar Association, Pulaski County Bar Association, and Attorneys Information Exchange Group, and his work helping families navigate claims through Pulaski County and the Pulaski County Circuit Court.

Gates Law Firm PLLC

2725 Cantrell Rd Ste 200 Little Rock, AR 72202, United States

(501) 779-8091

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