Wrongful death cases in California
Wrongful death occurs when a person loses their life as a result of another’s negligence, omission, willful or wrongful act, or default. Anyone, including corporations and government agencies, can be held liable and sued for the death of another person. Accidents involving cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians, among other things, are common examples of wrongful deaths.
Who can file a wrongful death lawsuit?
According to California’s wrongful death statute, the following people are allowed to file a wrongful death lawsuit:
- The decedent’s surviving spouse or domestic partner.
- The decedent’s surviving children, and/or
- The grandchildren of any deceased child of the decedent.
What Damages can be recovered in a wrongful death lawsuit?
Damages in a wrongful death case fall into two categories: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages can include:
- Funeral and burial expenses.
- Any financial support the family member would have contributed to the family.
- Loss of benefits that the family/family member would have receive from the decedent.
- The reasonable dollar value of household services that the decedent would have provided.
Non-economic damages can include:
- Loss of the decedent’s love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, and moral support.
- Loss of the decedent’s guidance.
We represent many families whose loved ones have been lost in an accident by the negligent act of another. We have decades of experience in asking juries for damages for the loss of a loved one. Understanding how to calculate both economic loss and non-economic losses of the deceased requires special experts and trial preparation. Our time-honored methods of selecting juries and presenting evidence of the loss of a loved one and the grief of their absence has allowed us to recover millions of dollars for our clients in these cases. If you’ve lost a loved one and believe it’s due to the negligent act of another, call McElfish Law Firm today at 800-750-8WIN for a legal team that will fight for the compensation you deserve.
