Wrongful Death

California Wrongful Death Attorney-
Wrongful Death Case Overview

Wrongful Death cases are personal injury cases where the injuries have resulted in the death of the victim. The process of proving and winning your wrongful death case is similar to that involved with other personal injury accident claims, but the persons who can recover for the deceased's personal injury accident claim for wrongful death and the nature of the recovery for damages resulting from the decedent's wrongful death are somewhat different.

An action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members (loosely referred to as the "heirs") such as the decedent's surviving spouse, children, and, under certain circumstances, the decedent's parents or other individuals. Note that the decedent may still have a claim for regular personal injury, pain and suffering, and expenses incurred prior to the decedent's death depending on your jurisdiction (California, for example, allows such claims but will not award pain and suffering monies to a deceased personal injury accident plaintiff).

Wrongful death claims have a substantially different measure of damages from those of other personal injury cases. Wrongful death claimants are awarded monies in compensation for the decedent's financial support which the wrongful death claimants would have received from the deceased but for their death, general damages for the loss of decedent's love, companionship, comfort, affection, society, solace or moral support, and compensatory damages for funeral and other expenses related to decedent's death.