Your alert to a friend or family member’s death may come as a surprise in an obituary you see online or in a newspaper. The discovery will come with sadness and emotional pain. There may also be a lack of closure if the article doesn’t mention the reason for a sudden passing.

You may want to reach out to family members to find out exactly how such a tragedy could occur. However, it’s a good idea to handle any further inquiries with sensitivity. A family may have left the cause of death out for a reason. There may also be opportunities to find out what happened without upsetting the closest family members already dealing with grief.

Finding Out How a Loved One Died When It’s Not Mentioned in an Obituary

The first realization for those shocked and hurt by the news found in an obituary may be that knowing the cause of someone’s death isn’t the most important thing at the moment. The first concern should be with the wellbeing of the family.

You may want to check on the family and see to their needs, without asking for information. Your own wellbeing should also be over any desire to know more about what happened. The shock of finding out someone you knew and loved has passed on will take its mental toll. You should be ready to face the stages of grief and must consider getting counseling if you are struggling to cope.

That being said, knowing the circumstances of how a friend or family member died can serve as closure. This is true no matter how the tragedy happened.

You can open a dialogue with a family member who would know what happened, but use tact. There may be a reason the cause of death was not divulged.

These are a few of the most sensitive ways to inquire about the loss of a life:

• Perhaps find out by attending the funeral and burial.
• Asking someone close to the family about the topic.
• A local newspaper, a website, or a TV station may have reported on the actual accident that led to a tragic death. You can search for the name of the deceased to see if any news articles are found.

Even if you don’t discover the truth, there are some important steps to focus on after the death of a loved one. If you are in a position of authority, you may want to make sure the person’s property and belongings are secure until a will can be acted upon. You may want to secure important documents, like a will and deeds to property, for the upcoming estate administration. Speaking to a lawyer about what’s to come may also be a good idea.

Finding Justice for a Wrongful Death Victim

If it’s discovered that a death was caused by someone’s careless mistake, there may be another reason for a family to speak to a lawyer.

California allows grieving families to file wrongful death claims against anyone who contributed to a loved one’s death. This might include a reckless driver who caused a deadly crash or a business that allowed an overhead item to fall on a customer in a deadly accident. At-fault parties can be forced to accept responsibility and provide financial assistance to victimized families.

Nothing can bring a loved one back, but a spouse and the adult children of a victim have the right to demand help with the financial consequences of a sudden death.

These and other hardships the family faces could be supported in a wrongful death settlement:

• Funeral and Burial Costs.
• Lost income. The loss of any paychecks and benefits the deceased had provided the family with each month.
• Lost care and guidance. This can include the companionship and love that the deceased can no longer provide. It should factor in the major life events that will occur without a loved one’s presence. That might include a wedding, birthdays, and the birth of a child.
• Support for parents. Parents who lose a child in a tragedy can seek support from an at-fault party. They should secure support for the emotional damage of losing the companionship that offspring would have provided.
• Emergency Response Fees. The costs of ambulance care and other fees associated with an accident.
• Medical costs. Any hospital bills acquired before the deceased passed on.

Contact a California Wrongful Death Attorney

Maison Law’s skilled California wrongful death lawyers offer a free case consultation to all family members after a tragic death. Maison Law can often secure much more for family members than they could earn by filing a claim themselves. Turning a case over to a lawyer can also allow close relatives to focus on remembering a loved one and not on the frustration of dealing with insurance adjusters.

We also don’t ask any upfront fees from families if we do represent them. We don’t earn anything unless the case is won. Then our fee comes from the settlement or judgment that an insurance company is forced to pay.