What is the difference between a murder and a wrongful death?
A murder is actually a type of wrongful death, but not all wrongful deaths are murders. This is because a murder is committed with intent to kill, while a wrongful death can be committed by accident. Another difference between murder and wrongful death is that murder is a term used in criminal law, and wrongful death is usually used in civil law. Often people who have lost a spouse or child as the direct result of another’s actions will turn to a wrongful death lawyer to sue for damages when their criminal lawyer is unable to win a murder conviction. The standard of proof for a criminal case is “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” This means that for a person to be convicted of murder, the evidence must be so strong that it is almost certain that they are guilty. Civil law, however, is different. The standard of proof is a more complicated phrase: “by a preponderance of the evidence.” This basically means that to win a civil case, the evidence has to show that it is more likely than not
