Maison Law represents families who have lost a loved one in a tragic pedestrian accident on dangerous Madera roads.
When a careless driver’s mistake is to blame for a fatal accident, those left behind should receive help in paying for a funeral and replacing any income the deceased will no longer support their families with.
Please contact Maison Law of Madera to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a real lawyer and find out about every benefit available to your family.
Should I Call a Lawyer If a Loved One Was Killed in a Pedestrian Accident?
If a loved one is taken after being struck by a careless driver, families have the legal right to demand financial restitution. Nothing can bring back a precious loved one’s life, but families should demand justice and help with financial recovery after a tragedy. To seek this closure and support, families in California are empowered to file wrongful death claims.
Unfortunately, insurance adjusters for at-fault drivers often focus on shedding as much blame as possible instead of helping grieving families. These giant insurers can turn to tactics that limit what families receive. They may even attempt to blame an innocent pedestrian for an accident to deny all coverage for the accident.
A Madera Fatal Pedestrian Accident Lawyer safeguards the family’s rights and fights back against these unfair tactics. A skilled lawyer makes sure families are awarded all benefits available, and usually much more than families could earn by handling a claim themselves.
Our representatives handle the frustrating negotiations with insurance companies with as little disruption to a grieving family as possible.
How Do Families File a Pedestrian Accident Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Families would usually file a claim with the insurance providers for at-fault drivers. Those left behind would seek support through a settlement claim with the insurer. If the insurer refused to accept any blame and rejected a claim, family members may file a lawsuit and take the insurer to court.
A wrongful death claim can be filed by certain family members. That’s according to California Law found in the Code of Civil Procedure – CCP ARTICLE 6. Wrongful Death 377.60. It goes over who would usually file a claim on behalf of the family:
- A spouse, children, or domestic partner
- Parents or close family members if there is no spouse or children
- A person named as the representative of the deceased’s estate
- A wrongful death attorney working on behalf of the family
Families representing themselves would then want to gather evidence (see below) to include when submitting a claim to the insurer. If the family had hired a Madera wrongful death lawyer, the lawyer would be fully investigating the accident and gathering all evidence to build a strong case.
The claim would be submitted with a list of hardships the family has faced and will face in the coming years. The claim would ask for help with these and other damages:
- Medical, funeral, and burial expenses – This includes costs for emergency treatment, funeral services, and burial or cremation.
- Loss of companionship or parental support – This covers the emotional and practical loss of having your loved one in your life, whether it’s a spouse or a parent.
- Loss of current and future income – This covers the money your loved one would have earned and contributed to the family in their lifetime.
- Emotional pain and suffering – This covers costs for the emotional distress and grief caused by losing your loved one.
A settlement offer would hopefully be made by the car insurance provider. Families would have to examine this offer closely to see if it covered everything close relatives would need to rebuild their lives. A skilled Maison Law attorney could help families assess a settlement offer, reject it, and demand more if necessary.
Here are some other key details of a wrongful death claim that families should keep in mind:
- It’s critical to act quickly, because you and your family have just two years from the date of death to file a claim. But families shouldn’t wait years to file. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to collect crucial evidence.
- You don’t have to have any money to hire powerful representation from Maison Law. We don’t accept any money for our work unless we win the case for a grieving family. Then our attorney’s fee comes out of the settlement money that the insurance company must pay you.
- You can hire a wrongful death lawyer at any time. You may work with an insurance company and suddenly realize you aren’t being treated fairly. You can always contact Maison Law and allow us to hold an insurer fully accountable.
How Can My Family Secure Evidence After a Madera Fatal Pedestrian Accident?
There are documents that families will need to hold an auto insurer accountable. There are other documents that will be a big help as families try to settle a loved one’s affairs after a tragic death.
These are a few of the documents that families, or an attorney working for the family, can obtain:
- Pedestrian Accident Reports — Families may need to request a copy of an accident report from the Madera Police Department or the CHP.
- Coroner’s Report — A coroner’s report may be helpful in proving how a victim died. This can be important evidence in a wrongful death case.
- Death Certificate — Official documentation can be obtained through the funeral home or through the Madera County Department of Public Health. This document may be necessary for several aspects of settling someone’s affairs after they’ve died.
Bereavement Support for Families After a Fatal Pedestrian Accident
Family members will never completely get over the loss of a beloved relative. It’s not surprising that some will require someone to talk to, perhaps a medical professional, to reach some closure and be able to make it through each day.
There are some places that those in mourning can turn to for help. They include some national and local groups that can meet in person or online.
National Mental Health Hotline – A national resource anyone can reach out to at any time of the day or night. Trained operators can link people with grieving support in the Madera County area.
GriefShare groups meet at several churches in nearby Fresno. The meetings include locations like Northwest Church, The Bridge, and Campus Bible Church near Fresno State.
Adventist Health, the organization that operates Madera Community Hospital, offers a Zoom grief support meeting twice a month.
How Many Pedestrians Lose Their Lives in Madera?
On average, Madera County has recorded over 2 fatal pedestrian accidents a year over a recent 5-year stretch (2020-2024).
In 2024, Madera County was the scene of 28 pedestrian accidents involving serious injury. Those accidents resulted in at least 3 fatalities. 2023 saw fewer collisions involving, but sadly, the same number of fatalities. The year brought 23 serious accidents and 3 deaths.
These heartbreaking accidents can occur as distracted drivers travel down high-traffic routes like Howard Road without watching crosswalks. They can be caused by speeding drivers approaching busy intersections like Cleveland Avenue and Gateway Drive. They go too fast to be able to stop for the pedestrian crossing the street they didn’t see until the last second.
A skilled attorney can fully investigate the accident and the driver and back a case with enough evidence to block insurers from making false claims about what happened. An attorney works on behalf of the family so they can focus on recovery without financial worries.
Contact a Madera Fatal Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Families should be allowed the time they need to grieve after a tragic pedestrian accident, but bills and hardships stemming from a tragedy can make a wrongful death lawsuit urgent and necessary.
A wrongful death attorney can handle your case privately with as little disruption to close family members as possible.
Contact Maison Law for a free and confidential case evaluation for any family in the Madera County area. Our lawyers offer compassionate care to those in mourning to ensure they don’t suffer the financial consequences of someone else’s mistake.
