Maison Law compassionately represents families who have lost a loved one in a tragic accident. When someone’s negligence is to blame for the death of one or more family members, those left behind should receive full support to protect themselves financially through such a difficult time. Our wrongful death lawyers immediately go to work to hold careless individuals or companies responsible for every hardship the family is confronted with. Please contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a real California lawyer and find out about every benefit available to grieving families.
When Should My Family Contact a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
If a loved one is killed in an accident caused by someone else’s mistake, families have the legal right to seek financial restitution. A wrongful death lawyer can help in filing a wrongful death claim and protecting the family’s interests. A California wrongful death lawyer can also handle frustrating negotiations with insurance companies while allowing as little disruption to the family as possible.
Loved ones may be lost in a car accident caused by a careless driver. They may perish after taking a fall down a poorly maintained stairwell at an apartment complex. Medical malpractice could lead to the death of a loved one. In these cases, motorists, property and business owners, and hospitals could be sued and support could be secured from their liability insurance providers.
Families are empowered to seek financial help from insurance companies, but that doesn’t mean they’ll receive the support they should. Insurance adjusters are trained to try to limit what families receive. A wrongful death lawyer safeguards the family’s rights and makes sure they are awarded all benefits available.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in California?
In California, the most immediate family is given the right to file a wrongful death claim.
- The spouse or domestic partner of the victim
- The children and adopted children of the victim
- In some cases, the step-children of the victim
Other family members like the parents and siblings of the victim could join in a wrongful death claim if they were financially dependent on the deceased.
In many cases, the wrongful death lawsuits of all eligible family members are combined into one wrongful death case. But when participants don’t agree on the terms of the case, litigants are allowed to file individual wrongful death claims, separate from the rest of the family.
Nothing can bring back the life of a dear family member, but families should seek justice for the victim. They must also make sure that close relatives left behind have what they need to protect themselves financially in the future. A wrongful death lawyer can represent the entire family in multiple wrongful death cases if necessary. A skilled lawyer will demand help with things like paying funeral costs and remaining medical bills, and secure help for the family in a future that won’t include the support of a loved one.
What If I’ve Lost Multiple Family Members to a Tragic Wrongful Death Accident?
Some accidents leave behind more grief than seems imaginable. Families can lose several loved ones all at once due to a careless or reckless accident.
When there are several victims in a fatal accident from the same family, those left behind would need to file wrongful death claims for each victim. The settlements for each death would be worked out separately, or in some cases, would have to be worked out in court.
A skilled wrongful death lawyer can help families file multiple wrongful death claims and make sure that guilty parties are held accountable for each precious loss of life.
What Can My Family Receive Support for After a Wrongful Death?
A wrongful death lawyer fully investigates the circumstances of a loved one’s death and the person or business that might have caused those tragedies. Evidence and testimony would be used to build a strong case against the at-fault party to greatly increase the chances the party would be forced to provide help to the affected family.
A wrongful death claim could earn financial support for close relatives left behind. These are a few of the factors that would determine how much support family members could receive:
- Funeral and Burial Costs.
- Lost income. The financial support a loved one can no longer provide the family through employment. This includes the financial hardships the family will face in the future.
- Lost care and guidance. The emotional support and counsel those left behind, especially a spouse and children, won’t be able to draw upon in the years to come. This can include the loss of protection and affection. The mental anguish close relatives must deal with must also factor into the level of support they’ll receive.
- 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 Lawyer
Families should be allowed the time they need to grieve after a tragic accident, but bills and hardships stemming from a tragedy can make a wrongful death lawsuit 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 California. Our lawyers offer compassionate care to those in mourning to ensure they don’t suffer the financial consequences of someone else’s mistake.
And if you feel we can help your family earn more through a wrongful death claim, you won’t need to worry about finding the money to hire us. We work for families on a contingency basis. That means we don’t get paid unless we win your case for your family. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money your family is awarded.
