You never expect the phone call. Or the knock. Or the silence that follows. One moment, someone you love is alive—at work, in the hospital, driving home—and the next, they’re gone. No warning. No explanation that makes sense. Just a flood of questions and a life that will never be the same again.

And when that death wasn’t just sudden but preventable? That’s when the law steps in. Georgia recognizes what you already know: that someone made a decision, skipped a step, or broke a rule that ended a life. You may not want a legal fight, but if you want the truth—and justice—you may need one.

At Adams, Jordan & Herrington, P.C., we represent families across Middle Georgia whose loved ones died because someone else failed. Whether it happened on the highway, in a hospital, or behind closed doors at a care facility, we’re here to help you uncover what happened and make sure those responsible can’t walk away untouched. If you’re looking for a Macon wrongful death lawyer who doesn’t just handle cases—but actually hears you—you’ve come to the right place.

When a Death Becomes a Legal Case in Georgia

Not every tragic loss is wrongful death. But when someone dies because another person or company did something reckless—or didn’t do something they should have—that’s when the law recognizes it as more than misfortune.

We’ve seen it happen in dozens of forms:

• A construction worker crushed because a site wasn’t secured

• A nursing home resident who died after untreated infections

• A wife lost in a head-on collision because someone was texting

• A child who drowned when a gate meant to lock wasn’t fixed

• A father discharged from the ER despite warning signs, who never made it home

In Georgia, the legal term “wrongful death” applies when the person would still be alive if others had simply done their job.

Who Has the Right to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Georgia?

The law doesn’t let just anyone sue. Georgia has a strict structure for who can bring a wrongful death case.

The order is as follows:

1. The surviving spouse, who also represents the interests of minor children

2. If no spouse, the children

3. If no spouse or children, the parents

4. If none of the above, the estate representative

This may sound cold—but we handle it carefully. If there are estranged relationships, or questions about guardianship, or confusion about who speaks for the family—we’ll walk you through it quietly, and legally.

Two Sides of a Wrongful Death Case

Georgia courts allow two separate but related claims when someone dies wrongfully:

1. The Wrongful Death Claim

This claim is about what the person’s life was worth—their income, their guidance, their love, their role. It looks forward and asks, “What was taken?”

You can recover for:

• The income they would’ve earned over a lifetime

• Health insurance or pension benefits that were lost

• Day-to-day contributions—childcare, caregiving, household roles

• Emotional support, guidance, presence

2. The Estate Claim (Survival Action)

This part looks at what happened between the moment they were hurt and the moment they died.

You can recover for:

• Emergency medical treatment

• Pain and suffering

• Mental anguish, if they were conscious

• Funeral and burial costs

• Punitive damages, in certain cases

Together, these two claims build a full picture—of what the person went through, and what the family continues to go through.

Types of Negligence That Lead to Wrongful Death in Georgia

Auto & Trucking Fatalities

A tired trucker. A distracted driver. A company that didn’t maintain its fleet. These cases happen every day in Bibb, Houston, and Monroe Counties. We know how to find out what really happened, and how to prove it.

Medical Mistakes

Wrong medications. Botched surgeries. Misread scans. Ignored vitals. Many wrongful deaths begin with good intentions—and end with inexcusable gaps.

Nursing Home Failures

We’ve seen cases where residents weren’t turned, weren’t hydrated, weren’t fed. Where records were changed after the fact. Where families weren’t told until it was too late.

Dangerous Property Conditions

Faulty stairwells. Broken fencing. Missing handrails. Poor lighting. A business or landlord that didn’t fix a known danger can still be held liable, even if the victim wasn’t “invited.”

Inadequate Security

Wrongful deaths don’t just happen in hospitals—they happen in apartment complexes, parking garages, and retail spaces where security was promised but never delivered.

What Families Often Don’t Know

You don’t need proof to start. You don’t need a complete file. You don’t even need to know whether what happened was technically illegal.

You need instinct.

We’ve had families come to us with nothing but a gut feeling that the explanation they were given didn’t add up. And they were right. That’s our job—to gather, to verify, to pursue the gaps no one else looked at.

The Human Cost of Legal Delay

In Georgia, you generally have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim. But waiting has a cost.

• Witnesses forget details

• Documents go missing

• Facilities “lose” footage

• Medical staff leave

• Defendants reorganize or dissolve their business

Even if you’re not ready to act, we can freeze evidence. We can issue preservation letters. We can stop time long enough for you to catch your breath and decide.

How We Build a Wrongful Death Case at Adams, Jordan & Herrington

This isn’t a file-and-wait law firm. Every case starts the same way: with your story.

Then we go to work:

1. Collecting police reports, crash data, autopsy results

2. Requesting internal records—safety reports, maintenance logs, nurse charts

3. Interviewing third-party witnesses and verifying timelines

4. Consulting neutral experts in medicine, safety, security, or engineering

5. Calculating economic and non-economic damages

6. Preparing a full trial file—whether or not we settle

Our goal is simple: pressure. The kind the other side can’t ignore.

How Insurance Companies Undervalue Wrongful Death

They’ll talk fast. Offer early. Sound respectful. But behind the scenes:

• They question whether the deceased had income

• They frame it as an accident no one could’ve foreseen

• They quietly assign partial blame to the victim

• They emphasize lack of dependents, as if that reduces worth

• They use complex language to rush a lowball settlement

We’ve heard it all. We don’t flinch. And we don’t let our clients face it alone.

When a Child Is Lost

There’s no formula for this. Georgia law allows parents to bring wrongful death claims when their child dies due to negligence. But defense teams often minimize damages—no income, no dependents, no “loss” in their view.

We push back—hard. The value of a child’s life is not tied to dollars. It’s tied to every morning missed, every future stolen, every day that never arrived. And we build that case with clarity and conviction.

When a Spouse or Partner Dies

The emotional weight often blindsides clients. It’s not just about missing a person—it’s about the way your daily structure collapses. Georgia courts allow recovery not only for financial loss, but for the intangible destruction of companionship, partnership, and future plans.

We bring in economists and psychologists who can testify to what that means in real terms. Then we make sure jurors understand it too.

When an Elderly Parent Passes—Wrongfully

Insurance adjusters sometimes say, “They were old.” As if that ends the story. It doesn’t.

Whether your parent was 58 or 88, if they were active, connected, and vital—and their death came because someone dropped the ball—that’s a claim. And we pursue it with the same seriousness we would for any other loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a claim?
Typically two years. But exceptions exist—call to verify based on your situation.

What if the person who caused the death also passed away?
You can file against their estate or any policy that applied.

Can multiple people file at once?
No. Georgia law allows one unified claim, usually through the appropriate family member or estate rep.

What if I don’t know what happened?
You don’t need to. That’s what we investigate.

Do these cases go to trial?
Some do. Most don’t. We prepare as if they will.

What does it cost to get started?
Nothing upfront. You pay only if we recover for you.

Call a Wrongful Death Attorney in Macon, GA Who’s Been Here Before

The person you lost deserves to be remembered with more than silence. Their absence deserves weight. Their story deserves a second look. And if someone caused that story to end too soon, the law gives you the right to demand an answer.

📞 (478) 478-312-6978
💬 Free, confidential consultation. No pressure. Just answers.
📍 Adams, Jordan & Herrington, P.C. | Serving Macon, Albany, Warner Robins & All of Middle Georgia