Inglewood Wrongful Death Attorney

Inglewood Wrongful Death Lawyer

Losing a loved one is tragic, but when you know their death was the result of another party’s negligence or illegal misconduct, it can form the basis of a wrongful death suit. If you believe another party is liable for your loved one’s death, an Inglewood wrongful death lawyer can help hold them accountable and recover compensation for your family’s loss.

Representing Wrongful Death Suits in Inglewood, CA

The attorneys at McLachlan Law, APC, have years of professional experience resolving all types of complex personal injury suits on behalf of our clients in Inglewood and surrounding communities, including wrongful death claims. We know the emotional strain these cases can carry and the many questions you are likely to have in terms of your family’s options for legal recourse.

Our firm can assist you in building a wrongful death suit and claiming compensation for the damages the defendant caused. Money cannot replace your lost loved one, but a successful wrongful death claim can help you feel a sense of closure knowing the defendant has been held accountable. The proceeds from a successful suit can help your family adjust to your new circumstances with peace of mind.

When you choose McLachlan Law, APC, to represent your wrongful death suit, we will begin by gathering the evidence needed to establish fault for the death. Once we have proven who is responsible for your loved one’s fatal injury, we will then help uncover all available avenues of compensation that you can seek with your civil claim. Our goal is to help you recover as fully as possible and as quickly as possible.

How Do I Prove Wrongful Death?

In a personal injury claim, the plaintiff seeking compensation for their damages must identify the party responsible for their injury and then prove the full extent of the damages they caused. It’s possible for a wrongful death to result from an act of negligence, such as a moving violation or distracted driving accident, and it is possible for a fatal injury to result from illegal misconduct, such as assault or driving under the influence (DUI).

Your Inglewood wrongful death attorney can help gather all the evidence you need to demonstrate fault for the wrongful death. This may include a combination of various forms of evidence along with testimony from those who saw the fatal incident happen. Expert witness testimony may also come into play if the case involves complex technical issues that the average person would have trouble understanding.

In California, eligibility to file a wrongful death suit generally falls to the direct beneficiaries of the deceased. This will typically mean their surviving spouse and/or children, but if they had an estate plan in which they named a personal representative, that person would likely be responsible for filing the wrongful death suit.

How Much Is a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Worth?

Once you have proven fault for the death, the next step of your case is proving the full extent of the damages your family suffered because of the wrongful death. It’s possible to claim several types of compensation from the defendant who caused your loved one’s death, including:

• Compensation for reasonable funeral and burial expenses.
• Repayment of damages sustained by the estate of the deceased. These may include lost income between the fatal accident and the victim’s death, their final medical treatment bills, and other losses included in their estate.
• Compensation for any property damage the defendant caused, such as vehicle repair or replacement costs, if they caused a fatal car crash.
• Pain and suffering compensation. There is no strict limit for pain and suffering compensation in most wrongful death cases, so this could form the largest portion of your total recovery. Your Inglewood wrongful death attorney can help determine a suitable amount to compensate your family’s emotional suffering.

Depending on how your Inglewood, CA loved one’s death happened, it is also possible for additional compensation to come into play. Specifically, if the defendant caused their death through any illegal action, they may face punitive damages and/or restitution alongside the damages claimed in the civil suit filed by the family.

Conversely, if it is revealed that your loved one contributed to causing their own injury, it will diminish the final case award. The state’s pure comparative fault rule will require every liable party to have a fault percentage assigned, and if a victim is found partially at fault, their percentage of liability is subtracted from the final case award as a penalty.

What to Expect From Your Inglewood Wrongful Death Attorney

The right attorney is an invaluable asset for your impending legal proceedings. Any wrongful death claim can be an emotionally stressful experience for the family of the deceased, and the right legal representative can help you and your loved ones approach this difficult situation with confidence and peace of mind.

McLachlan Law, APC, approaches every wrongful death suit we accept with the goal of helping our client maximize their recovery in the shortest possible timeframe. Our firm can help gather the evidence needed to prove liability for your loved one’s death and construct the framework of your case. We’ll ensure you meet all applicable court filing deadlines and will uncover every type of compensation you can claim from the defendant.

Our firm accepts wrongful death cases and personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you will only pay an attorney’s fee if and when we win your suit. Additionally, the contingency fee will be a percentage of the total case award, so there is no economic risk to choosing our firm to represent your wrongful death claim. If we are unable to obtain compensation, there is no fee at all.

You have a limited time in which to file your case, so it is vital that you reach out to legal counsel you can trust as soon as possible. Contact McLachlan Law, APC, today to schedule a consultation with an experienced Inglewood wrongful death attorney and learn what our team can do for your recovery.