Losing a loved one due to an accident is a great tragedy, but that tragedy is magnified if their death was avoidable and caused by someone else’s bad behavior. A loved one’s sudden loss can put a grieving family in financial turmoil and create additional, undeserved anxiety for them. The Chatsworth wrongful death lawyers at Walch Law know this sudden uncertainty means you need money as quickly as possible to ease your mind and your financial burdens, so as soon as you hire us we will start fighting for the compensation you deserve. Robert and Gary have spent over four decades working to get settlement checks for victims like you and have a success rate of 95+%! Contact us today to set up your free initial consultation, get your questions answered, and get started!
How Can Wrongful Deaths Occur?Though sometimes a person’s untimely death truly is the result of a tragic accident, most often the loss of life occurred due to someone else’s negligence, recklessness, intentional action, or criminal conduct. It’s common to see wrongful death lawsuits filed when life is lost during:
Chatsworth, a city of over 41,000, is a bustling city in the San Fernando Valley next to Los Angeles. It’s been consistently growing over the past decade and is near the massive 5, 118, and 405 freeways. Though it is generally regarded as a safe area, accidents do happen that can cause death and bring about lawsuits. Violent crimes may result in death, doctors may commit malpractice and cause untimely death of their patients, car accidents on Chatsworth’s busy roads are common due to drunk or distracted driving and do result in fatalities, and construction projects needed for the city to successfully accommodate its growing community can create dangerous conditions which can easily result in fatalities and wrongful death lawsuits.
Who Can Sue for Wrongful Death Injuries?Though it’s natural for a loved one’s family, friends, neighbors, or even coworkers to feel emotionally affected by an unexpected death, not everyone is entitled to compensation for their grief in California. Only people with certain family connections have the legal right to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. Because a deceased person usually has a number of relatives of varying degrees of closeness, laws were created creating tiers of relatives with different levels of priority to sue. These laws can be confusing – especially if multiple close family members exist – so it’s wise to talk to a Chatsworth wrongful death lawyer about your unique situation.
The first tier of with top priority is generally the deceased’s immediate family. If one or more of these individuals exist, no one from the other tier of relatives may file a wrongful death lawsuit. The first tier includes a deceased individual’s:
If no relatives in the first tier exist, a second tier of relatives gets the ability to sue for wrongful death if they can show they financially depended on the deceased. This includes relatives like parents and stepchildren.
What Kinds of Damages Can I Recover for Wrongful Death?If the victim has standing to sue and can prove the wrongful death was due to bad behavior that should not have occurred, they may be eligible for compensation for their injuries. In wrongful death cases, most injuries courts compensate victims for revolve around financial and emotional injuries caused by the deceased’s sudden, permanent absence. Damages may include:
Losing a loved one is a traumatic experience. Unfortunate, too often grieving loved ones are also thrown into financial uncertainty and think can’t afford a Chatsworth wrongful death lawyer to pursue the compensation they deserve. However, Robert and Gary want to make sure you can afford to have someone fight for you, so all our cases are taken on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing until after your case is over and you get paid, so you still have a chance to get the check you deserve and have successful attorneys in your corner to build the best case for recovery possible. Call us today to get your questions answered and take the first step towards getting the money you need today!