The Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawyers at Bisnar Chase will fight for compensation for your loss. There is no question that losing a loved one is devastating, and often life-changing.
We have recovered millions of dollars for families that have suffered heartbreaking losses. Nothing can bring your loved one back, but by filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles can help you secure compensation and justice.
Please contact us at (323) 238-4683 to schedule your free consultation.
FAQs for Los Angeles Wrongful Death Cases
Losing a loved one suddenly can have a long lasting impact on a family emotionally, and much of the time financial support is needed. If an individual’s death was caused by an act of negligence or wrongdoing, there are civil remedies available for the families of deceased. Loved ones are left with many questions regarding liability, compensation, and legal advice.
Common questions about these kinds of claims include:
A wrongful death is anytime a person is killed by negligent means. There are so many examples such as an auto defect, a work accident or a motor vehicle collision.
Family members, spouses and domestic partners.
That depends on your case and how the decedent’s earnings affected your way of life and future income. Some expenses that can be compensated for can include funeral bills, potential future loss of wages and loss of consortium.
We will evaluate the compensation you are entitled to based on lost and future earnings, loss of companionship and any other factors that weigh into how the loss of life has affected your future and income.
California Personal Injury Laws
The statute of limitations on personal injury in California is 2 years. This applies to all counties, including Los Angeles.
If you do not file within this time, you may lose your right to file a lawsuit unless you can prove that the wrongful death was discovered later. Typically, a two year period is plenty of time for a person to file their wrongful death lawsuit, but trauma and stress often cause people to lose track of time.
If you have lost a loved one, contact a wrongful death attorney in Los Angeles to help you determine if you are owed compensation.
Common Types of Wrongful Death Claims
We understand that money cannot take back the unintentional injury or accident that caused the death of your loved one. It’s a cold, hard fact. However, we have been able to help thousands of clients cope with their financial struggles.
Some of the types of California claims we pursue are:
- Car accident fatalities
- Animal or dog attack (fatal)
- Commercial truck fatalities
- Pedestrian fatalities
- Bus fatalities
- Catastrophic auto defects
- Product defect fatalities and prescription drug deaths
Families that have lost a breadwinner. Families that are struggling to pay off medical expenses and funeral costs after the sudden death of a loved one. Families that have lost benefits and considerable future income as the result of a sudden death. These are the realities of many wrongful death cases. We help families obtain a sense of justice and fair compensation for their losses while holding at-fault parties accountable for their negligence and/or wrongdoing. We may be able to help you too.
Wrongful Death Case Settlements and Verdicts
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Wrongful death lawsuits in Los Angeles are based on California law and can be brought against a wide variety of individuals, entities, corporations, employees and even governmental agencies.
Entities and individuals who can by sued for wrongful death include:
- A negligent driver who was at fault for a car accident. If a driver is on the job at the time of the crash, their employer can also be held liable.
- The manufacturer of a defective auto or a faulty vehicle part that caused a crash.
- The manufacturer of any dangerous or defective product that caused the death.
- A governmental agency that allowed a hazardous condition to exist on a roadway it was responsible for maintaining.
- An agency that designed a defective roadway.
- A daycare center that was responsible for taking care of a child.
- A nursing home that was responsible for taking care of an elderly resident.
One of Bisnar Chase’s top-rated attorneys, Gavin Long, won an $11 million verdict for the death of John Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham checked into a detox facility for addiction. The facility was ultimately negligent in terms of supervision, leading to his suicide.
Gavin Long, a partner and trial specialist at Bisnar Chase, won compensation for the Cunningham family. He said: “I’m relieved that the jury saw the terrible injustice and an egregious level of negligence on the part of the treatment facilities.”
Key Elements that Are Unique to Wrongful Death Claims
A “wrongful death” differs from a criminal prosecution for murder and homicide in the sense that the civil action is brought to court directly by the survivors of the deceased person. The defendant in a wrongful death action is found “liable” for the damages.
In a criminal case, the defendant faces penalties such as jail or prison time or even the death penalty. In a civil case, the surviving family members of the decedent receive monetary damages for their losses. Also, in a criminal case, jurors find the defendant guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.” For this type of case, jurors find the defendant liable through a “preponderance of the evidence.”
Filing a Wrongful Death Claim in Los Angeles
- Immediate family members: Family members who can file include spouses, children, adopted children and parents of unmarried children.
- Partners: Life partners, financial dependents and putative spouses may also file a claim. A putative spouse is a person who was not legally married to the victim, but who participated in a ceremonial marriage.
- Other family members: In some cases, a distant family member may also be able to file this type of claim. For example, a grandparent who is raising a child may be able to bring wrongful death action on behalf of the child’s deceased parents.
- Financial dependents: Anyone who has been financially dependent on the victim can also seek compensation.
Compensation the Deceased Family Members
Compensation varies by case. To determine how much compensation you are entitled, the legal process will base a decision on the loss of current and future earnings of your loved one. Typically, loss of a child will pay less than a spouse who was earning income, but special circumstances can apply.
The value of an LA County accident claim depends on a number of different factors.
- Economic damages: This may include immediate financial losses suffered because of the accident, as well as compensation for financial contributions the victim will no longer be able to provide. Economic damages may include funeral expenses, medical bills, loss of the victim’s expected earnings (lost wages), loss of benefits, and loss of inheritance.
- Non-economic damages: It can be challenging to put a monetary value on non-economic damages because they are invaluable. The court may, however, attach a monetary value to the survivor’s mental anguish, pain, suffering, loss of care, loss of love and companionship and loss of consortium.
- Punitive damages: In cases involving egregious conduct, it may be possible to pursue punitive damages from the at-fault party. For example, the manufacturer of a defective product can be slapped with punitive damages if they knew that the product was defective when it was sold to consumers.
Contact our Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawyers
The Los Angeles wrongful death lawyers of Bisnar Chase take cases that we know deserve justice. We will invest heavily in your case in an effort to get you the fair compensation that you are entitled to.
The law firm of Bisnar Chase has a lot of resources, talent, and experience – and those resources to get you through this difficult time. Whether you lost a family member in Los Angeles County, or elsewhere across Sothern California, we have the financial resources to pursue your case with optimal results.
You will not be charged a fee until the case settles. Only then will we charge you a recovery fee. If we don’t win, you’ll pay nothing. It’s a promise that has worked for over 40 years. Bisnar Chase has established a 99% success rate and has won over $750 million for our clients.
Contact our office in Los Angeles for a free case analysis.
