Losing someone you love is like seeing a piece of your heart on the floor and never being able to pick it up. It’s like losing your breath from a hit on the chest. Losing a child, regardless of how old, is amplified in pain. Then, to know that your loved one’s life was taken due to the negligence of someone or some party, it may seem as if you will never pick yourself up off the floor alongside the piece of your heart that will never come back. If this is your story then may our Riverside Wrongful Death Attorneys at JML Law share our deep condolences with you.
For over 40 years, our firm has worked with many families through the trauma of a wrongful death suit. This kind of suit is a civil suit. Civil suits have a lower standard of proof than criminal case. In a criminal case, you have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Because this standard of proof can be incredibly high, filing a civil suit is your best action to get justice for the one you lost. This is extremely favorable when it comes to a loss of life at the hands of a local police officer.
Death By Police
Riverside community has over 4,000 officers who patrol around 1.4 million people in the county. The job of a police officer is unique. They are met with unique challenges every night. These challenges sometimes place the police in hard positions and sometimes they make decisions that are costly in both lives and money.
Since 2003, it was discovered that the County Sheriff’s Department has cost the community $8.39 million. One of the Supervisors on the Board of Supervisors, which overlooks the payouts in civil suits between civilians and police officers, are concerned with the growing number of settlements given to families who have experienced loss at the hands of a police officer. Because jury trials tend to side more with the police, it is more efficient to file a wrongful death suit. But, as writer and researcher Jeff Horseman stated, “For the families who sue, justice, not money, is the goal”. Horseman interviewed a mother whose son was wrongfully killed and she stated that being offered money for her son felt wrong. The family did finally accept $1.5 million.
Some blame the “ease” of the wrongful death suit with the increase in payments. But, if you look at the facts, the number of fatal shootings have risen even though the crime per capita is lower than in surrounding counties.
What To Do
Dealing with the death of a loved one is complicated. Adding in the negligence of a group of people who are meant to protect you, makes it even harder. If you are in this position then you need seasoned and experienced attorneys to help you through the process of finding justice for your loved one. Call 818-610-8800 or click here for a free consultation with our professional attorneys at JML Law in Riverside today. We are ready to hear from you.
