When a member of your family dies unexpectedly, and their death is caused by someone else’s negligence or carelessness, it is normal to feel sad, angry, confused, overwhelmed, and many other emotions. While it might seem that you will feel this way forever, the truth is that most people eventually gain closure. One option to speed up that process is to file a wrongful death lawsuit and hold the at-fault party accountable.
These cases can be complex, especially if there is more than one person who could file the case. Keep reading to learn what happens in those cases, and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
There Might Be Several Eligible Parties
Not just anyone can file a wrongful death lawsuit. Even a person who is related to or very close to the victim cannot necessarily file. California is very specific and allows only specific people to this type of lawsuit. They would include the surviving spouse or domestic partner, children of the deceased, and certain other people if they were financially dependent on the deceased, like grandchildren.
How Damages Are Divided Between People with Standing
There are several types of compensation a person might be eligible for, and which ones apply might be related to their relationship to the victim. For example, the estate of the decedent could be entitled to compensation for medical bills before the death but related to the accident, while surviving spouses might be entitled to recover compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Ideally, those who are eligible can agree on how proceeds will be distributed. If that is not possible, then the court will decide who gets what. This means that if you have grounds to bring a wrongful death lawsuit, your personal injury attorney might be responsible for first proving your claim and second proving why you deserve the damages you do from the overall award.
Call a Personal Injury Attorney to Find Out What Your Best Options Are
The bottom line is that if you have lost a loved one due to another person’s negligence or recklessness, then you might have the right and ability to file for compensation from the at-fault party. How much your claim will be worth and how you can recover it will vary from case to case. However, there is one step that applies to everyone: contacting a personal injury attorney.
You can call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas now at 909-982-0707 to request a free legal consultation and let us help you through this process. We will go over your case and give you a fair estimate of what you can expect. Call now so we can get started.
