A fatal accident is a tragedy for the victim as well as for the family members left behind. Amongst your grief, you have to deal with funeral arrangements, medical expenses, and the loss of their contributions to your family, all of which were unexpected. No one can fully understand what you may be going through, but at Estey & Bomberger, LLP you will find compassionate, experienced Los Angeles wrongful death attorneys who sympathize with your struggles. If your loss was the result of someone else’s negligence, you deserve fair compensation. We will hold the negligent party accountable.
What Is A Wrongful Death Attorney?
When a person dies as a result of negligence or misconduct on the part of another person, party, or entity, the immediate family of the victim can file a wrongful death claim. A Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer is a personal injury lawyer who handles these cases. When you are looking to hire a lawyer to handle a wrongful death lawsuit, it’s highly recommended that you choose a wrongful death lawyer who has extensive experience handling these cases. The best wrongful death lawyers in Los Angeles have trial experience and will fight your case in court if a fair settlement is not made by the defense.
How Can the Wrongful Death Attorneys at Estey & Bomberger Help?
Estey & Bomberger, LLP have won numerous wrongful death settlements on behalf of their clients, providing a lifeline for surviving families trying to put their lives back together.
- $13.8 Million Verdict for the widow and children of a plastic surgeon who died in the crash of a single engine aircraft.
- $5 Million Settlement for brain injury of husband, and death of wife, in a vehicle accident against the City of Los Angeles.
- $3.2 Million Settlement for family of victim of fatal rear-end car accident on State Route 60 in Riverside County, CA.
Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys work hard to seek these amounts on your behalf for a reason; we know that the damages suffered by the family in a wrongful death last a lifetime. The comfort and guidance that person provided in your life cannot be fully recouped by money, but it does provide the financial support that the deceased no longer can.
Common Causes of Wrongful Death
In 2014, there were more than 136,000 unintentional and accident-related deaths in the United States. Accidental death is actually the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S. In California, there were 28.4 accidental deaths per 100,000 residents, according to the most recently available data. In Los Angeles County, that rate was 20.3 per 100,000 residents. Despite the “accidental death” label, many of these tragic deaths were entirely preventable. In many of these cases, the negligent actions of a person, company, or even government entity are directly responsible.
When an accident leads to a death, it is often the result of negligent actions by another. Some of the most common causes include:
- Car accident – More than 30,000 people die in car accidents every year. Not all of them can become wrongful death claims, but car crashes are usually caused by someone else being irresponsible.
- Medical malpractice – If a doctor makes an incorrect diagnosis, an avoidable error during surgery, or provides otherwise insufficient treatment, and this directly causes the patient’s death, a wrongful death claim could be filed.
- Product liability – A company has a responsibility to make its products safe to use for the public. If they fail, and a death results from this failure, they could be held liable for it.
The death must have been caused by an intent to harm or the negligence of someone else in order for a wrongful death claim or lawsuit to be filed.
California Wrongful Death Laws
Wrongful death in California is a complicated area of the law, and a claim can only be filed by certain people under certain circumstances. California statute of limitations provides that a claim must be filed within two years of the decedent’s death. Who can file a wrongful death claim in California?
- The surviving spouse or domestic partner.
- The surviving children.
- If there are no survivors in the person’s direct line of descent, then a lawsuit can be brought by someone “entitled to the decedent’s property by intestate succession.” This includes siblings, parents, or anyone who was dependent upon the person at the time of their death.
- The putative spouse and the putative spouse’s children, as well as stepchildren, can file a wrongful death claim if they can prove financial dependence.
The same as any other personal injury case, you would be able to seek medical expenses and lost wages damages. In a wrongful death claim, you can also file to recoup funeral expenses, loss of anticipated financial support, and loss of love, support, and guidance.
Hire an Experienced Los Angeles Wrongful Death Attorney
With Estey & Bomberger, LLP, you will find attorneys who understand that you are going through the most difficult experience imaginable. For us, you and your family’s well-being comes first; everything else is secondary. Our Los Angeles wrongful death lawyers will work with you and make the claim proceedings as simple as possible for you. Our goal is to take away the stress of a wrongful death lawsuit. We will take care of everything for you.
Our team of attorneys will always be available to you to answer questions, we will be honest with you, and we will fight on your behalf for fair compensation. We work on a contingency fee basis; we don’t get paid unless you do. We know how difficult the unexpected loss of a loved one can be; you will find our attorneys to be sympathetic, caring, and we will approach your case with dedication and integrity. Contact us today to set up a free consultation to discuss your case. We can even set up a home visit if you can’t make it to our office
“I want to thank Mr. Bomberger for the wonderful result he obtained for me in our case regarding the death of my son. The settlement that Mr. Bomberger obtained was three times what my prior attorney said she thought we could get for settlement.” –Antonio San Nicholas
“I was extremely pleased with the service I received from Estey Bomberger. Their entire staff is very knowledgeable and worked very hard for me to win my case.” –Laura Shackelford