Wrongful Death Accidents

In California, wrongful death cases are governed by statute. Under the California Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.60, the individuals entitled to compensation through a wrongful death action may include:

• Spouse
• Domestic partner
• Children of the decedent
• Stepchildren of the decedent
• Putative spouse (someone who may not have been legally married but believed in good faith that they were legally married).
• Any minor who was at least 50 percent financially dependent on the decedent and lived in the household for at least 180 days before the death.

If you have lost a loved one in an accident due to someone else’s negligence or carelessness, an experienced Sacramento wrongful death attorney can help. Although a lawyer can never make the pain of losing a family member go away, they can help you work through the issues a family faces after the unnecessary death of a loved one. Besides handling the legal aspects of the claim, your lawyer will be able to help you with local support groups, grief counselors, and books that may bring some comfort.

It is essential to consult with a skilled California wrongful death lawyer that you feel comfortable with. Make sure that the attorney has the experience to handle serious matters. Even more importantly, you must feel comfortable communicating with this lawyer. You will be sharing sensitive and heartfelt experiences with the attorney you select for your wrongful death case.

To keep everyone safe on the road, NHTSA urges drivers and motorcyclists to be alert and share the road. Motorcyclists are also reminded to make themselves visible, ride sober, and always wear a helmet that meets the criterion set forth by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. You can look for the DOT symbol on the back of the helmet.

Safe riding takes good judgment, balance, and coordination. Experienced motorcycle riders know traffic laws, and they don’t take risks. Bikers ride defensively and leave plenty of room between their motorcycles and other vehicles. Most motorcycle accidents are caused by other drivers who didn’t see the motorcyclist. Safe riding practices from all drivers will help decrease the number of injuries and deaths.

To improve your safety while riding a motorcycle, check road conditions before leaving the house. This will help give you an idea of dangerous roads and current traffic conditions. A little planning ahead can help make your journey as a motorcyclist less risky.

Watch the following video to learn about the seven essential tips for motorcycle safety.

You have two years from the date of the death to file a lawsuit, as outlined in the California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. However, there are exceptions in medical malpractice, government entity, and other cases.

If the wrongful death claim is against a public agency, a notice of claim must be filed within six months of the fatal incident date. This is by California Government Code Section 911.2.

If a medical professional’s negligence resulted in a loss of life, a wrongful death claim for medical malpractice must be filed either three years from the incident date or one year after the death is discovered, or with reasonable diligence should have been discovered whichever occurs first. Refer to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.5.

It’s essential to act quickly because insurance companies, hospitals, and government entities are quick to cover up, minimize, or in other ways try to avoid responsibility for the death. Witnesses disappear, marks in the road can be covered over, hospital records can change or disappear. It happens every day.

Most cases involving the loss of a loved one are settled out of court through insurance negotiation, mediation, or arbitration. Occasionally, the causation for the death is disputed by the defendant or their insurance company. It is often necessary to take a case to trial in Sacramento County for a jury to decide a fair result.

It is essential to collect compelling evidence and information from the family in every case. This way, an attorney can show a jury or the defendant’s insurance company the depth of the individual who has died and the types of losses surviving family members have faced.

Family members can seek compensation for the loss of companionship, loss of services, loss of income, and other losses. Damages for wrongful death may be available for the deceased person’s spouse, parent, and child. Damages are available for the deceased’s estate as well. The claim can be made against the at-fault party that caused the accident.

Punitive damages are monetary damages available in some personal injury lawsuits. The heirs of a person who died due to another person’s negligence can sue for financial compensation. The damages in a wrongful death matter include economic damages such as lost earnings and future earnings and non-economic damages like loss of companionship.

The average settlement for a wrongful death claim is $500,000 to $1 million. However, it is difficult to determine your settlement amount since the circumstances of each case are different, and the damages vary greatly. While some families got $10,000 or less, others have received a six or even seven-figure settlement. An experienced Sacramento wrongful death lawyer can help you navigate the legal process and ensure you receive full compensation.

Most insurance policy contracts exclude liability for punitive damages, so the insurer will not pay for them. The driver might have to pay such damages out of pocket if a case is filed against him and won. That presumes that the driver has enough assets to pay a judgment. We discuss this with our clients in every punitive damage case.

A wrongful death lawsuit must be filed either where the incident causing the death took place or where the defendant in the case lives. If the fatal incident occurred in Sacramento County, that would be the correct jurisdiction to bring the suit. Alternatively, a suit could be bought against the “at fault” party where they live.

The attorney handling the case must be licensed in the state where the claim is filed. The case would be filed where the incident causing the death took place or where the defendant in the case resides. If the injury occurred in Sacramento or if the defendant lives here, then that is where the suit must be filed.

Cases where a loved one is killed by a drunk driver, are tragic. There is a suit for wrongful death and punitive damages in almost all such claims.

Yes, our Sacramento wrongful death law firm can help with cases involving accidental deaths in nursing homes. California wrongful death statutes and survival statutes allow the family to obtain peace of mind after the death of a loved one.

Whether a lawsuit for wrongful death can be settled quickly depends on many factors. If liability is clear, that makes a faster settlement more likely. However, if negligence is disputed, many depositions may need to be taken, and experts retained, which will increase the time the case takes.

Another factor is how much liability insurance the negligent party carried. If there is only a small amount of bodily injury liability coverage, it is more likely that the negligent party’s insurer will pay up earlier. However, if there is a large insurance policy or if a company is involved, their insurer will likely delay paying out as long as they can.

A third factor determining how long a case takes to settle is finding out the economic losses to survivors. If the person wrongfully killed had been working, experts need to be retained to calculate how much the decedent would have earned over his lifetime and evaluate the value of benefits and pensions.

California Civil Code Section 3333.4 would preclude recovery by the driver of a car for pain and suffering damages if the driver did not have insurance at the time of the crash. Insurance carriers often argue that the wrongful death claimants of an uninsured driver or owner are also barred from recovery by the statute. This is incorrect even though many adjusters attempt to mislead on this issue.

No, any lawsuit settlement awarded for injury or physical illness is non-taxable. The IRS does not tax any money intended to compensate victims for their pain and suffering.

Wrongful death actions are civil cases that fall under personal injury. The only way surviving family members can recover compensation for their loved ones is to file a civil suit in Sacramento County.

Criminal charges may be filed by the district attorney against a person who wrongfully caused another’s death (the defendant). However, even if the defendant is found guilty and convicted in criminal court, the criminal case would not provide money to the decedent’s family.

The decedent’s family would need to file a separate wrongful death lawsuit in civil court to recover monetary damages. The criminal action is intended to punish the defendant, whereas a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the same defendant in civil court would seek monetary damages on behalf of the decedent’s family.

If you believe your loved one has died due to the negligence of another, please contact our experienced Sacramento wrongful death attorneys for free, friendly, and compassionate advice. Our legal team has recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Our firm founder, Edward A. Smith, is a proud member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This organization recognizes attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.

Here at AutoAccident.com, we are committed and ready to fight for full compensation on your behalf. Learn more about your options by calling (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for a free consultation. We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you owe us nothing unless and until we have obtained a successful result in your case.