Coping With Loss And Exercising Legal Rights
Losing a loved one to a fatal accident is devastating. At JML Law, A Professional Law Corporation, our attorneys are here to help you through this difficult time.
Our wrongful death lawyer regularly helps people in Los Angeles County and throughout California who are looking for answers and are open to discussing legal options. Whether your loved one died because of someone else’s or their own mistake, you may be able to pursue financial compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit:
- If the death was work-related, a fault is not an issue.
- Suppose your loved one was partially responsible for the accident that caused their death. In that case, financial compensation may be reduced by the percentage of fault for which they were responsible for the accident. However, the recovery can still be substantial.
We Understand These Complex Claims
Personal injury laws (especially wrongful death laws) are complicated, and securing financial recovery for your loss and other damages can be challenging. Initially, an insurance company may offer you a settlement. This is usually a thinly veiled attempt to make the matter go away. The insurance company might try to convince you that this settlement amount is available under policy limits or that your case is not worth more.
Ninety-nine percent of all initial insurance company offers come nowhere near covering actual losses, including:
- Medical costs.
- Pain and suffering of the deceased.
- Lost companionship.
- Lost income.
- Lost future earning capacity.
- Funeral expenses.
Our Los Angeles wrongful death attorney will aggressively pursue the maximum compensation possible to help cope with a family member’s death and maintain financial stability.
We collaborate with top-rated experts in various fields, including life-care planners, who can assist us in establishing the full value of your case and finding additional insurance coverage sources that may help satisfy the compensation you are entitled to.
How Long Do You Have To File A Wrongful Death Claim In Los Angeles
Family members and representatives of a deceased person’s estate must understand that they have limited time to file a wrongful death claim in civil court. The California wrongful death statute of limitations is two years from the deceased person’s death date. If a case is not filed within this time frame, family members or the estate’s representative will be unable to recover compensation.
Who Is Allowed To File A Wrongful Death Claim In California
Under the California Code of Civil Procedure 377.60, we can see that various parties can file wrongful death lawsuits in civil court in Los Angeles. This includes the following:
- The spouse of the deceased.
- The domestic partner of the deceased.
- Children of the deceased.
- Grandchildren of the deceased, but only if the deceased’s children are also deceased.
- Other minor children who are dependent on the deceased for at least 50% of their financial support, including stepchildren.
- Any other person would be entitled to the deceased’s property through California’s intestate succession laws.
Types Of Compensation Available For Los Angeles Wrongful Death Claim
Damages awarded in wrongful death cases are intended to compensate the deceased’s heirs for the value of the support they would have been expected to receive had the deceased lived. The types of compensation awarded can include both economic and non-economic losses.
- Economic damages. This can include various types of compensation for damages that are considered calculable, including the following:
- Financial support the deceased would have provided to the family during their lifetime.
- The loss of benefits or gifts the heirs could have expected to receive from the deceased.
- Funeral and burial expenses.
- The reasonable value of household services the deceased would have provided.
- Non-economic damages. This can include various types of compensation for damages that are not as easy to calculate as economic losses. This can include providing compensation for the loss of the deceased’s:
- Protection.
- Affection.
- Moral support.
- Training and guidance.
- Society in companionship.
- Sexual relations.
California law does not place a limit, or a cap, on how much compensation can be awarded for either economic or non-economic damages in a wrongful death claim. Economic damages are typically awarded based on the sum of all calculable losses. A jury can award any non-economic damages they see as reasonable based on the evidence presented in the case.
A skilled Los Angeles wrongful death attorney will work with various economic and financial experts to help properly calculate the total losses a family has endured due to the death of their loved one. It is crucial to calculate these losses properly because the case is over after a settlement has been reached or a jury verdict has been rendered.
Should You File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit Contact Us To Find Out
Your livelihood may be at stake, and we will apply our law firm’s full skills, resources, and determination to your case. It is vital to meet the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit. You might be unaware of the tight timeline and pre-suit filing requirements.
You will never know how much your case is worth if you do not consult an experienced wrongful death lawyer in Los Angeles. Suppose a family member was killed in a car and auto accident, a work accident, bar assault, shooting, or any other situation involving negligence or wrongdoing. In that case, we may be able to help you.
Contact us online or at 818-610-8800 to schedule a free consultation with a wrongful death attorney in Los Angeles. All consultations are confidential and conducted in a safe and comfortable environment. All cases are handled through a contingency fee, which means we get paid only when you collect a favorable settlement, and we initially cover all legal costs.
Get your questions answered.
Contact Our Lawyers.
Every case is unique and needs to be evaluated by our experienced lawyers. If you have lost a loved one due to negligence or wrongful actions in Los Angeles,
