Beatrice, Nebraska

Wrongful death help for Beatrice families, handled by phone.

Fatal personal injury hotline

About Demerath Law Office

I am Larry Demerath, a Nebraska native, a veteran and a Nebraska farmer. For over 50 years I have represented families in motor vehicle cases, and fatal car accident cases are where my experience counts most.

I have recovered more than $50 million for clients in Nebraska courtrooms, including $1,062,500 in a wrongful death case, $1,025,000 for a passenger killed in a crash and $670,000 after an I-80 crash that killed two children.

I earned my law degree at the University of Nebraska College of Law and I am admitted to the Nebraska State Bar, the federal district court, the 8th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. I handle your case myself, by phone, with no travel and no waiting room. You pay nothing unless I win.

How I help families who lost someone

When a crash takes someone you love, you should not have to fight an insurance company alone. I guide your family through the legal process, protect your rights and pursue the compensation Nebraska law allows.

Investigate the crash, gather evidence and identify key witnesses
Uncover every insurance policy that may apply
Deal with the insurance companies so your family does not have to
File a Nebraska wrongful death claim on your family's behalf
Explain the deadlines that apply to your claim
Seek compensation for funeral and medical expenses, lost income and lost support
Take your case to trial if the insurance company will not pay a fair amount
Answer your questions by phone in plain language
Handle everything on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless I win

Tell Larry what happened

Send a message and Larry will contact you. There is no cost to ask.

Expert help in Beatrice, Nebraska for fatal crash injuries

When a crash takes someone from a Beatrice family, the days afterward are hard to describe. People bring food, the phone keeps ringing, and an insurance adjuster may call before the funeral. You should not have to face that alone. I am Larry Demerath, a Nebraska personal injury attorney, and I have practiced for over 50 years. I help Beatrice families find out what happened and what a wrongful death claim can mean. I work by phone, so you can stay close to your people. Your first call is free, and you owe me nothing unless I win your case.

Beatrice, Nebraska

Beatrice is the county seat of Gage County, in southeastern Nebraska. It sits on the Big Blue River, about 42 miles south of Lincoln. The Census Bureau counted 12,262 people here in 2023. U.S. Route 77 and U.S. Route 136 both serve the city. Gage County is one of the 19 counties Nebraska created in 1854.

A group of settlers, who had come by steamboat and been stranded near Kansas City, founded the town in 1857 and named it for Julia Beatrice Kinney. The river gave early mills their power. It also flooded, and high water often destroyed dams and bridges. A lasting bridge was not built until 1890. Railroads came in 1871 and again in 1879, and the Beatrice Creamery Company, later known as Beatrice Foods, was founded here in 1894. William McKinley gave a campaign speech in Beatrice in 1892. The state opened a school for disabled youth near town, and its first residents arrived in 1887.

History is part of daily life in Beatrice. Daniel Freeman filed the first claim under the Homestead Act about four miles west of town. Congress created the national site in 1936. That land is now Homestead National Historical Park, with about three miles of trails, cabins, a one-room schoolhouse and restored tallgrass prairie. The Gage County Museum is housed in the old 1906 Burlington Railroad Depot, and Beatrice Speedway draws racing fans.

Those attractions and the county fair bring visitors in from other towns. Add farm trucks, school traffic and people driving to Lincoln for work, and the highways around Beatrice stay busy. These are the same roads that families use to get to church, ball games and the grocery store. When a crash happens here, the loss reaches the whole community, from the school hallways to the farm roads.

AI illustration: Historic downtown Beatrice street with brick buildings and a bright blue Nebraska sky

Events in Beatrice

These four Beatrice events bring crowds downtown and out to the fairgrounds. More visitors mean more cars on the same roads that local families use every day.

AI illustration: Bright carnival rides and livestock barns at a Nebraska county fair on a summer evening

Gage County Fair

The fair at the Gage County Fairgrounds offers 4-H and open class exhibits, FFA activities, livestock, a carnival and food vendors. Concerts and a Saturday night destruction event fill the grandstand. Exhibitors and spectators come from across the county.

AI illustration: Barbecue smoker and picnic tables on a historic downtown brick street in Beatrice

Ribfest

Main Street Beatrice hosts this downtown event built around award-winning barbecue. Visitors find live entertainment and a beer garden. It brings families and food fans into the historic downtown near the courthouse, and many arrive by car from nearby towns.

AI illustration: Hunters walking through golden Nebraska cornfield and grass with a pheasant taking flight

Nebraska Governor's Pheasant Hunt

This two-day event in Gage County pairs a pheasant hunt with a sporting clay shoot. Hunting teams compete for a Grand Champion trophy. It has drawn hunters from across the country and cadets from West Point, so visitors travel county roads in the fall.

Lighted Holiday Parade

The Beatrice Chamber of Commerce leads this annual parade with a holiday theme. Santa and Rudolph appear, and families gather along the route downtown. Winter evenings, crowds on the sidewalks and extra cars parked on nearby streets make careful driving important.

Event information: KLKN-TV, Main Street Beatrice, Main Street Beatrice, Main Street Beatrice. Dates change each year, so check the organizer before you go. The pictures on this page are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of the events.

How Demerath Law Office can help you in Beatrice, Nebraska

Should your family lose someone in a crash in or near Beatrice, I would like to hear about them first. Then I get to work. I ask for the crash report and the insurance details, and I gather the medical and funeral bills. I explain each step in plain words and short sentences, and I answer your questions as they come up. Many Beatrice families have deep roots here. A death touches grandparents, cousins, coworkers and church friends. I will tell you what a claim can and cannot do, and I will not promise a result. If your loved one was a child, a parent or a farm worker, the questions are different, and I take time with each one.

I work by phone. You do not need to drive to Omaha, sit in a waiting room or take time off to meet me. I call you, I tell you what I find, and I listen to what you want. I have handled Nebraska motor vehicle cases for over 50 years, and I am a Nebraska farmer and a veteran myself. I know small-town and rural Nebraska, and I know what the roads around Beatrice are like.

A wrongful death claim in Nebraska generally has to be filed within two years of the date of death. Do not let that number lull you. Witnesses forget, skid marks fade and vehicles get repaired or scrapped. An insurance adjuster may also call you early and sound kind. Do not sign papers or give a recorded statement until you have talked with me.

My fee is contingent. If I do not win, you owe me nothing, and the first consultation costs you nothing. More than $50 million has been recovered for my Nebraska clients. My admissions include the Nebraska State Bar, the federal district court, the 8th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. If you are ready to talk about your family's loss in Beatrice, call me at 402-677-5656.

AI illustration: The Big Blue River winding through green trees near Beatrice on a sunny summer day

Fatal car accidents I handle in Beatrice

Fatal crashes come in many forms. Here are eight kinds I see, and how each can look around Beatrice.

Truck crash

Trucks haul grain, livestock and freight along U.S. Route 77 and U.S. Route 136 through Gage County. A fatal truck crash can involve a driver, a carrier and more than one insurer. Evidence can vanish quickly, so families should call early.

Motorcycle crash

Riders enjoy Nebraska back roads in warm months, and Beatrice Speedway fans know the sound of engines well. Many drivers pull out without seeing a motorcycle. If you lost a rider, do not accept blame for them before the facts are known.

Drunk driver crash

When a drunk driver causes a death, grief and anger arrive together. Police and prosecutors deal with the criminal charges. I look after what the family needs, and I can explain where things stand while the court process moves along.

Head-on collision

Two-lane roads outside Beatrice leave little room when a driver drifts over the center line. At highway speed, a head-on crash is very often fatal. Families deserve to know why a vehicle crossed over, and I work to find that out.

Intersection crash

The highways meet city streets near downtown, where drivers cross at lights, stop signs and busy corners. A fatal intersection crash often turns on who had the right of way. Camera footage and witness names matter, and both fade fast.

Rear-end collision

Traffic can back up suddenly near downtown and on the highways, especially after a ball game or fair night. A rear-end crash may seem minor, but a heavy truck changes that. Phones and vehicle data may help show what happened.

Pedestrian or bicycle strike

Beatrice has parks, trails and quiet streets where people walk, jog and ride bikes. Drivers do not always watch for them, especially at dusk. If a loved one was struck, please call me before you speak with any insurance adjuster.

Single-vehicle or rollover crash

Gravel, wet pavement, winter ice and sudden turns can send one vehicle off a Gage County road. Even with no other car involved, a family may have questions about the road, the vehicle or other causes. I help you look into them.