Maison Law represents Visalia families who have lost a loved one in a tragic bicycle accident. 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 can no longer provide. Please contact Maison Law of Visalia to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a real lawyer and find out about every benefit available to your family.
Should My Family Contact a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
It may be very apparent who caused a deadly bicycle collision. A reckless driver’s mistake is usually to blame, and an official police accident report may point to the person at fault.
Unfortunately, car insurance companies can still try to deny blame or shift blame to an innocent rider. They withhold support for grieving and financially-strapped families, or try to limit what those left behind receive to face the years ahead.
This type of treatment for families who have already been put through so much is unacceptable to Maison Law. Our Visalia Fatal Bicycle Accident Lawyers stand up for families at such a difficult time.
We provide these benefits and more…
- Investigating the accident and collecting all evidence
- Determining who is responsible
- Guiding you or your family through the legal steps involved in a wrongful death claim
- Handling all communications and negotiations with unhelpful insurance companies, allowing the family as much time as possible to focus on remembering a loved one
- Often earning your family more than you could earn by filing a claim yourself
If we can help your family earn more to protect the future, you won’t need any up-front money to hire us. Maison Law works on behalf of families on a contingency basis. We don’t get paid unless we win a case for our clients. And if we win, the attorney’s fee is paid out of the settlement money a car insurance company is forced to provide.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?
After a fatal bicycle collision, California law is set up to allow a spouse or domestic partner, children of the victim, or the grandchildren of the victim to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the rest of the family.
In some cases, the parents and siblings of the deceased may also be allowed to file a wrongful death claim to seek a settlement check. A wrongful death attorney can also represent all family members and file a wrongful death insurance claim.
What Can My Family Receive Support for After a Wrongful Death?
Families can face financial hardships from day one after getting the terrible news of a fatal accident. The victim may have been the breadwinner for the family, and now that income has been lost.
These and other future concerns must be addressed in a settlement offer from the at-fault driver’s car insurance provider. Insurance companies shouldn’t be able to encourage families to take a low settlement offer that’s quickly offered. Families should have a good idea of what they’ll need to avoid financial issues in the future, and then hold out for an offer that covers everything.
Your wrongful death lawyer will file a claim that lists every hardship the family has experienced and will experience. A skilled lawyer will then negotiate with evidence in hand to secure a maximum settlement for close relatives.
These are a few of the factors that would determine how much support family members could receive:
- Funeral and Burial Costs.
- Lost income that the deceased may have provided to the family each month.
- 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. It should also consider the cherished life events that will be forever missing someone important, such as graduations, weddings, and the birth of a child.
- Support for parents. Parents who lose a child in a tragic bicycle accident can seek support from the at-fault party. They would receive help paying for funeral costs and medical bills. They should also secure support for the love and companionship that’s been lost in the future.
- 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.
Life-Threatening Bicycle Accident Dangers in Visalia
Riders who must share the lanes with fast-moving, distracted drivers know the dangers that vehicles pose. But cyclists in bike lanes and in supposedly quiet neighborhoods are also put at risk by the mistakes of motorists.
Drivers can be swiping on a cellphone and not watching out for riders who also have a right to the lane. They can pass a bicyclist when there isn’t room and send a victim off the road. A careless driver might be paying attention to something else and not notice a group of children near a park entering the street.
These and other circumstances repeat many times through Tulare County each week. And unfortunately, the mistakes of drivers can result in serious injuries and fatalities. California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) reports that Visalia recorded 25 bicycle accidents involving injury, with at least one fatality resulting.
These accidents can cost friends and family the life of a loved one. The entire community loses as well.
Whether it’s negotiating with insurance companies or filing wrongful death lawsuits, we’re here to support grieving families every step of the way. We handle the worry and stress while providing as little disruption to you and your grieving family as possible.
Requesting Fatal Accident Reports and Coroner Documents
Nothing can bring back the life of a fallen family member. However, close family members should get as much support as needed to recover from such a devastating loss emotionally and financially. They can seek this support through a wrongful death claim, but they may need powerful evidence to force a car insurance company to accept liability and do the right thing.
Families can require the aid of an accident report to show who caused a bicycle accident. They may also need documents from a coroner or the public health department to prove someone has passed on. Proof of a loss of life is often the first step to allow family members to get access to bank accounts and help settle affairs.
- Accident Reports. After an accident, families may need to request a copy of an accident report from the Visalia Police or the CHP.
- Coroner’s Report and Death Certificate. A Death Certificate will be important to help with the settling of affairs for a loved one that’s passed on. A coroner’s report may be necessary to prove how the victim died. You can find information on obtaining these documents here.
Families should remember that if they have turned their wrongful death claim over to a lawyer, the lawyer will secure these documents and other evidence for the case.
Mental Health Support for Grieving Families
Families coping with the aftermath of a deadly bicycle accident should receive all the support they need to pay for professional counselors and medical professionals.
However, if those left behind need immediate help, some groups guide victims to grief support groups and online therapy that are either free or come at a very small cost:
- Kaweah Health Hospice Grief Support Services – A program through Kaweah Health has support groups for anyone in need. They feature regular meetings and classes for children dealing with grief, groups for those who have lost a spouse, and help for those dealing with grief through the holidays.
- GriefShare – Bereavement support groups meet at several Visalia churches each month. The churches include Visalia United Methodist Church, Gateway Church of Visalia, and The Life Church Visalia.
Contact a Visalia Bicycle Accident Wrongful Death Lawyer
Families should be allowed the time they need to grieve after a tragic bicycle 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 family members as possible.
We are advocates for cyclists and their families, and we provide compassionate representation.
Contact Maison Law for a free and confidential case evaluation for all family members in mourning after a tragic Tulare County accident.
