Wrongful death occurs when another person’s actions or inactions cause the loss of life to a victim. Sudden deaths are hard to accept, especially when caused by the recklessness of another’s actions. The family needs support and compensation for having a loved one snatched away in an accident resulting in death.
En Premier Law Group, nuestros Federal Way wrongful death lawyer advocates for victims and their families. We seek answers and justice. Request a free consultation with our Abogados de lesiones personales en Federal Way to discuss your rights. Our personal injury lawyer has the resources to help you today. We have over 55 years of combined experience.
Why You Need a Legal Team After Wrongful Death
In an ideal world, we would never need wrongful death lawsuits. Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences a person will encounter in life. If you lost someone due to another person’s negligence, your sense of loss can run deeper and leave you feeling that an injustice has occurred.
Insurance companies commonly want you to settle your case fast, as that often allows them to save money. Their actions nearly always cost the family. We make sure insurance companies treat you fairly, investigate what happened thoroughly, and pay what is actually owed to your loved one’s estate and your family’s continued losses.
During these challenging times, it may be unclear what you can do to move forward after your loss. You do not have to go through this kind of loss alone. With Premier Law Group’s help, you can begin holding the responsible party accountable for their actions.
Who Can Bring a Wrongful Death Case in Federal Way
There are certain restrictions on who can bring a wrongful death case in Federal Way. For example, friends of the deceased cannot bring a wrongful death case. Washington State law has specific rules and guidelines that allow certain people to file a wrongful death action. Different rules apply to adult and child deaths.
The following are the rules governing who may bring a wrongful death claim based on whether it is an adult or a child. The person representing the deceased’s estate may bring the action for the estate and for the benefit of the deceased’s family.
If none of these people survived the decedent, the action benefits “parents, sisters, or brothers, who may be dependent upon the deceased person for support, and who are residents within the United States at the time of their death,” according to Washington State’s Wrongful Death statute (Chapter 159, Wrongful).
A parent who has regularly and recently contributed to the support of their minor child may bring a wrongful death lawsuit for a child under 18. However, some restrictions apply. Marital status is not a factor when the decedent is under eighteen. If only one parent files, the other parent must be notified of the lawsuit.
What Constitutes Wrongful Death
Under Washington State law (RCW 4.20.010), wrongful death occurs when a person’s life is taken due to the wrongful acts, neglect, or default of another person. Negligence can happen in any setting, and it can be a basis for a wrongful death lawsuit. Negligence is the failure or inability to take the reasonable care necessary to prevent injuries or fatalities to another.
Negligence can occur in many scenarios. Examples of negligence include, but are not limited to:
- Accidentes en la construcción
- Accidentes por quemaduras
- Productos defectuosos
- Accidentes de motocicleta
- Mordeduras de perro
- Accidentes de vehículos
- Accidentes de peatones
- Mala praxis médica
Las muertes por negligencia suelen ser causadas por la negligencia de alguien. Sin embargo, la muerte por negligencia no es un delito penal. La responsabilidad penal por matar a alguien incluye el asesinato y el homicidio por negligencia. Si el presunto delincuente enfrenta cargos penales, aún puede presentar una demanda por muerte por negligencia en su contra en un tribunal civil. Esto es así incluso si la persona no es condenada por un delito penal.
Criminal Cases Involving Loss of Life
En un caso penal, la responsabilidad penal debe probarse más allá de toda duda razonable. Por otro lado, la responsabilidad civil debe establecerse mediante una preponderancia de la evidencia. Dicho de otro modo, la carga de la prueba es mucho mayor en un caso penal que en un caso civil. En un caso civil de muerte por negligencia, el demandante solo tiene que probar que es sumamente probable que el acusado haya matado a alguien de manera ilícita.
For a FREE legal consultation with a wrongful death lawyer serving Federal Way, call (206) 285-1743
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Recoverable Losses in a Wrongful Death Accident
Our Federal Way wrongful death attorney works closely with you and your family to fully understand the losses you have. We seek to understand what happened, what suffering occurred, and what the ongoing losses for your loved one will be. Some of the recoverable damages in these cases include:
- Medical expenses related to the emergency care administered and hospitalization up until the death
- Final burial and funeral costs
- Lost wages for time a person could not work after the accident until their death
- Loss of ongoing financial support to the home due to the death
- Pain and suffering for all experienced in the incident
- Loss of companionship and guidance
- Emotional trauma and mental impact to victim families
Many times, insurance companies will encourage you to accept a simple payout, which may seem like a lot of money. Yet, it is rarely what they actually owe you. In these cases, we strongly encourage you to speak to our wrongful death attorney in Federal Way before you allow them to take advantage of you.
How Long You Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim
In most cases of wrongful death, the family has three years from the date of the loss of life to file a lawsuit against those at fault. If you do not act within that timeframe, you cannot recover any of the losses you have. They get away with not paying for what they did.
The discovery rule applies to wrongful death cases. If for any reason the death was not known to be an act of negligence immediately and the family did not discover the death was caused by negligence, an extension of this statute of limitations may be applicable.
It is also possible to extend the wrongful death statute of limitations in Washington if the defendant flees the state or is otherwise inaccessible for service of the lawsuit documents. This may pause the statute of limitations until that person is found. The court is likely to grant this type of action. However, we do not encourage you to wait and count on this. Instead, let us go to work on your loved one’s case now.
Contact a Wrongful Death Lawyer in Federal Way Today
At Premier Law Group, our wrongful death attorneys understand that losing a loved one due to the negligence of another person is a devastating experience. You do not have to navigate the complexities of a wrongful death claim all by yourself. Premier Law Group has experienced, passionate wrongful death attorneys in Federal Way, WA, who want to help with your wrongful death lawsuit.
We are empathetic professionals who want to help your family find closure and honor your loved one. If a loved one has died on account of someone else’s negligence, please do not hesitate to contact us today. We have offices in Federal Way, Bellevue, and Renton, and we serve the greater Seattle area. For a no-commitment, no-cost consultation, you can contact us today.
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Jason de Premier Law Group es verdaderamente una persona excepcional. Nuestro caso en particular no era algo que su firma suele ver, pero estuvieron más que dispuestos a ayudarnos y brindarnos toda la información que tenían disponible. No puedo recomendarlos lo suficiente.