When injuries from an accident become fatal, the grief that follows for loved ones is devastating.  While there is usually an immediate outpouring of love and support from friends, many grieving loved ones feel that others do not fully understand the deep hurt they feel. Grief is a deeply personal thing for everyone and is very difficult to process, especially in the case of a sudden death that has been brought on by the careless actions of another. In these “wrongful death” situations, we’ve found that many surviving loved ones feel that they need help, but they don’t know where to turn. For our clients, we often recommend grief support groups, which can be found in many local areas .

Children who have suffered a loss may have an even harder time coping and communicating their feelings. In Richmond, Virginia there is an organization called Full Circle that is now accepting registration for their 8 week “Hands on Healing” Family Group beginning in March. This group offers a place for children and their families to share their story of loss, develop coping strategies, and discover new ways to honor their loved ones’s memory. Full Circle was established as a comprehensive grief resource center for children and their families to find a variety of creative ways to express their grief, and their Bereavement Resource Manual is a great online resource.

In all situations of loss, there must be a slow adjustment to the new realities. To move forward, it is important to somehow find a sense of closure on the past, and a way to accept the new life ahead. Adults who are struggling with grief might look into a program called Grief Share that has thousands of seminars and support groups around the U.S., including several grief support groups in Virginia.

Often when there is a sudden fatality there is some type of legal proceeding that tends to keep wounds open until it is resolved. Virtually every client we have represented over the last four decades has said that they cannot get any sense of closure on their loss so long as there is unresolved claim or litigation.  In the wrongful death cases we handle, we always work as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible, building towards a just resolution that can help reestablish some sense of legal justice and personal peace.