Did you recently lose a loved one in a fatal accident in Culver City, CA? If someone else was responsible, you can count on M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers to help your family fight for justice.
An experienced Culver City wrongful death lawyer can help you fight for compensation for medical bills, loss of financial support, and your family’s suffering.
We bring over 100 years of combined experience to your case. Our proven track record of success includes recovering over $400 million in compensation for families like yours.
While no amount of money can erase your family’s pain, the compensation you recover can make a world of difference in your future. Contact our law offices serving Culver City, California by calling (877) 300-4535 to schedule a free consultation with a lawyer who can fight for you today.
How M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Deadly Accident in Culver City, CA
Losing a loved one is always difficult. When you suspect that someone else was to blame, anger and frustration can add to your shock and grief. You deserve to be compensated–but you shouldn’t have to spend your time fighting with insurance companies.
That’s where our Culver City personal injury attorneys can help. Over the years, our skilled attorneys at M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers have been selected as “Rising Stars” by Super Lawyers Magazine and as some of the top 100 trial lawyers in the country by the National Trial Lawyers.
We’ll put our reputation and experience to work for you during this difficult time by:
- Investigating to determine who is responsible for your loved one’s death
- Assessing your case value
- Hiring experts to review the evidence and testify about various aspects
- Protecting your family from any allegations that your loved one shared fault
- Handling all insurance negotiations and communications
We know that you may have just experienced a huge financial loss in addition to your personal suffering. Our Culver City personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis–so you won’t pay attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for your family.
What is Wrongful Death?
A wrongful death is a death caused by someone’s negligent or wrongful actions. Like personal injury cases, wrongful death cases are handled in civil court. Because the victim is not alive to file a personal injury claim, the right to sue for damages transfers to surviving family members.
Wrongful death cases and personal injury cases are very similar. While claims can be based on intentional wrongdoing, they are typically based on negligence. These cases generally only proceed to court when the parties are unable to reach an acceptable settlement deal during negotiations with insurance companies.
While the defendant could face criminal charges, the remedy in a wrongful death case is financial compensation.
Who is Entitled to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in California?
Wrongful death cases involve specific procedural rules. Under California’s wrongful death law, only certain parties are entitled to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Those parties include:
- A surviving spouse or domestic partner
- The victim’s children
- The victim’s grandchildren, if the victim’s children have died
- Parties who would be entitled to receive the decedent’s property under California intestate laws
- The victim’s parents, stepchildren, or putative spouse, but only if they can prove they depended on the victim for financial support
A “putative spouse” is someone who believes in good faith that they were married to the deceased person.
When a person dies without leaving qualifying family or dependents behind, the personal representative of the victim’s estate is entitled to file a lawsuit for damages.
What Causes Most Fatal Accidents in Culver City, California?
Nearly any type of accident can lead to an untimely death. Even when an accident and injuries seem relatively minor, it’s always possible that the victim could face fatal complications.
At M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, we often handle wrongful death claims involving:
- Car accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Accidents caused by defective products
- Motorcycle accidents
- Accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber or Lyft accidents
- Exposure to toxic substances
- Firearm violence and assault
- Boating accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Dog bites
- Birth injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
If you lost a loved one, don’t hesitate to reach out to our law firm in Culver City for a free case review today.
What is My Culver City Wrongful Death Claim Worth?
It’s important to have a sense of your case value before taking legal action. Wrongful death cases are more complex than many other personal injury claims. That’s because much of the compensation you recover will account for future losses.
The amount of compensation you recover will depend on factors such as:
- The costs your family has incurred because of the accident, injury, and death
- Your loved one’s prior earnings history and lost future earning potential
- The age and identity of surviving dependents, including the victim’s children
- Your loved one’s age and life expectancy prior to the accident
- Your family’s emotional pain and suffering
- The circumstances of the accident, injury, and death
- The physical pain and suffering your loved one endured prior to death
Our lawyers handle complex cases like yours on a routine basis. Depending on the nature of your losses, we may bring in experts and specialists who can testify about the financial value of those losses.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Surviving Family Members in a Culver City Action for Wrongful Death?
Under state personal injury laws, grieving families in California can seek compensation for their full economic losses. They’re also entitled to pursue compensation for their more personal non-financial losses.
Examples of the types of compensation you may be entitled to receive include:
- Medical expenses incurred between the date of injury and the date of death
- Loss of financial support
- Loss of the value of household services provided by the decedent
- Funeral costs and burial expenses
- Your lost wages if you miss work while you grieve
- Loss of parental support and guidance
- Loss of consortium, or loss of a spouse’s love, companionship, and care
- Pain and suffering
- Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues
You can count on our wrongful death lawyers in Culver City to fight for every dollar you deserve. While you focus on your family’s recovery, call us to handle the legal issues and details.
Can I Recover Damages If My Loved One is Being Blamed for Causing Their Own Death in California?
Shared fault is a common issue in California injury cases. Because your loved one can’t defend themselves, it could easily become an issue in your case.
Under California’s pure comparative negligence law, your settlement or verdict will be reduced if your loved one shared responsibility for the accident that caused their death. However, you won’t lose your right to damages entirely unless your loved one was 100% to blame.
Defendants and their insurance companies often try to use these rules to avoid paying what’s fair. That’s why it’s important to have an experienced lawyer by your side after the death of a loved one.
How Do I Prove I Deserve Compensation for Wrongful Death in California?
Like any personal injury claim, you must prove that someone else’s actions caused your loved one’s death to recover financial compensation.
While some wrongful death cases are based on intentional wrongdoing, most are based on negligence. Our lawyers will search for evidence to prove your negligence case.
That evidence might include:
- Video surveillance footage
- Safety reports and reports of past wrongdoing
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Opinions from accident reconstruction specialists and experts
- Photos and data from the accident scene
- Medical records
- Police and accident reports
All you have to do is call our legal team to learn more about this practice area today.
How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Losing a Loved One in California?
Under California law, you have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit. This two-year statute of limitations starts to run on the date of your loved one’s death. After the two-year period is up, your family loses the right to sue for damages.
There are some exceptions to the rule–but they’re few and far between.
Giving your lawyers time to investigate will increase your chances of recovering fair compensation for your loss. Call us today to schedule a free consultation with our Culver City wrongful death attorneys to get started.
The loss of a loved one is incredibly painful. That pain is only magnified when you know the death could have been prevented. An experienced Culver City wrongful death lawyer can help you fight for justice.
At M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, we have decades of experience representing clients in Culver City and Los Angeles. We know what it takes to help you maximize your compensation–and we keep our caseload small so that every client benefits from our full attention. To learn more about how we can help, call for a free consultation today.
