The situation can be complicated if you recently lost someone you love in an unexpected accident. Many often feel overwhelmed after such a traumatic loss. Furthermore, families often face major financial difficulties due to fatal accidents and may be worried about how they can move forward with their lives.

As Oakdale wrongful death lawyers, we help people recover emotionally and financially after losing their loved ones to someone else’s negligence. Call our law firm at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for a free consultation with our knowledgeable injury attorneys. 

Our law firm works exclusively on cases involving fatal or severe injuries. These cases often have high values due to the extent of economic and non-economic damages involved. Insurance companies representing at-fault parties will spend much time and resources to dispute financial liability. Our legal team has decades of experience handling wrongful death claims and will ensure that families receive the justice and fair compensation they deserve. Some of the types of cases our Oakdale wrongful death lawyers handle include the following:

• Bicycle Accidents
• Boat Accidents
• Car Accidents
• Motorcycle Crashes
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Trucking Collisions

Our firm’s founder, Oakdale wrongful death lawyer Ed Smith, and legal team have been helping injured people in our community since 1982. Throughout the years of practice, Mr. Smith has earned a reputation as a “personal” personal injury lawyer for operating holistically and focusing on relating to our clients on a personal level. We provide compassion, care, and guidance by taking an interest in our clients’ lives and treating them as our family.

Many accident attorneys will maintain a strictly professional connection with their clientele, often keeping them at arm’s length throughout the wrongful death claim process. This approach works for some people, but we believe that taking a genuine interest in our clients’ lives helps us fully understand how they have been affected by their loss. With a personal understanding of the claim, our legal team can advocate more effectively while conducting settlement negotiations or proving cases in courtrooms.

Data from traffic enforcement groups, including California Highway Patrol (CHP) and local police agencies, indicate that Stanislaus County had 29,674 traumatic vehicle accidents between 2009 and 2020, including 635 deadly crashes. In Oakdale specifically, there were 870 crashes, ten of which caused fatal trauma. This means that traumatic car accidents in Stanislaus County had a fatality rate of around 2.14 percent, while the Oakdale area was about 1.15 percent.

Most fatal motor vehicle accidents in Stanislaus County happened on either municipal or county-operated roads, while about 38 percent occurred on the road maintained by the state of California. Around 23 percent of fatal Stanislaus County crashes involved pedestrians, 7 percent involved a bicycle, and 12 percent involved motorcycles. Most of these crashes occurred in the evening or between 6:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.

Losing a person that you care about is never an easy thing to do. However, deadly accidents can be tough because they happen unexpectedly. The emotional impact of such a sudden loss can be immense. Grieving individuals commonly feel intense emotions, including shock, anger, confusion, or fear. While the process of coping with these feelings can feel impossible, many people can find comfort by relying on the support of members of their families, friend groups, and communities. To learn more about how people navigate the grieving process, take a minute to watch the informative video below about the grieving process.

After losing a loved one in a deadly accident, families and dependents can face challenging financial issues, mainly if the decedent is the primary provider of the household. Losing a member of your household often means losing income that you and your family need. In other wrongful death cases, it may mean losing access to services that your loved one usually performs. These services, such as childcare, cleaning, or home maintenance, are necessary but can be very expensive to replace. In addition to other financial pressures, these issues can leave families unsure of how they will be able to pay the bills.

Fortunately, it is possible to reach out for help. While the presence of a loved one is irreplaceable, families can seek compensation for losses related to the wrongful death of a loved one. By bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against at-fault parties and their insurers, families, and dependents of decedents may recover damages that cover the losses described above, providing them with financial security in a difficult time. Furthermore, families can also often claim compensation for non-economic damages such as loss of companionship, parental guidance, or other losses related to losing your loved one.

If you lost a loved one in Oakdale because of someone else’s negligence, your family might be eligible for a wrongful death claim. An experienced Oakdale wrongful death lawyer can help guide you through the process. Call our law firm for free, friendly legal advice at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400.

Our legal team has worked with families of Oakdale and throughout Stanislaus County on wrongful death claims since 1982. To see our past case results, visit our Verdicts and Settlements page.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 7.12.23] Image by carolynabooth from Pixabay ms ds [cs 933]}