Wrongful Death Lawsuit.

The death of a loved one is one of the most devastating times anyone can go through. Life can be cruel, but when an automobile accident that could have been prevented causes the death of a loved one, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit if you want compensation for your loss.

A wrongful death lawsuit claims that the victim was killed as a result of carelessness on the part of the person or company being sued, and that the victim’s survivors are thus entitled to money as a result of the negligence. A wrongful death lawsuit consists of four elements:

The death was caused, in whole or part, by the conduct of the defendant.
The defendant was negligent or strictly liable for the victim’s death.
There is a surviving spouse, children, beneficiaries or dependents.
Monetary damages have resulted from the wrongful death.

Not all deaths are wrongful deaths, but if you believe that your loved one’s death was caused by the carelessness or irresponsibility of someone else, you should think about meeting with an experienced wrongful death attorney. That will put you hopefully on your way towards a wrongful death settlement.

How Do I Know If I Can File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

A wrongful death lawsuit may be filed due to a number of circumstances, such as:

Automobile accidents
Medical malpractice
Occupational hazards
Criminal behavior
Death during a supervised activity (for example, a person drowns in a pool that has a lifeguard on duty)

Wrongful death lawsuits can be brought against a wide variety of people, such as the driver at fault in the fatal car accident, a negligent employer, the manufacturer of a faulty or defective product or a criminal.

Who Can File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

Our frequently asked wrongful death questions answer this question in detail, but — depending upon the circumstances — the following people may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit:

Spouse/Domestic Partner
Parents
Children
Stepchildren
Foster Children
Those that may Stand to Inherit /Money

Nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, but an experienced wrongful death lawyer can help an insurance company know how much your loved one meant to your family.

Why Hire Our Wrongful Death Lawyers?

Since 1992, the wrongful death attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC have been helping people just like you cope with the loss of a loved one and get justice for your loss.

Our firm’s founder, Michael Pines, understands that a wrongful death is a difficult time for you and your family. We know that you are already going through tremendous pain and suffering, so we know that our job is to help ease it by handling the legalities of your wrongful death claim.

Our wrongful death lawyers can recover money for:

Medical bills
Funeral and burial expenses
Loss of expected inheritance
Loss of current and future earnings
Loss of benefits
Loss of care, comfort and support

At the end of the day, our main goal is to help you obtain the financial compensation you need. This time can be very emotional for you and your family, so you shouldn’t have to worry about fighting with insurance companies or worrying about a wrongful death lawsuit. We’re here to help you recover the maximum wrongful death settlement with the least amount of stress.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a wrongful death accident we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible following the accident at 1-800-655-6585 or please click here for a free consultation with an experienced wrongful death attorney. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe us nothing until we recover money on your behalf.

Most Recent Blog Post

[caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: The San Diego Union Tribune"][/caption] Last week, we reported on a car accident in San Diego that resulted out of alleged teen street racing. In new developments, the 18-year-old driver charged with the death of the two teenagers involved in the street racing has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter among four other charges according to reports at the San Diego Union Tribune. The news follows the earlier arrest of another 16-year-old driver that was taken into custody on similar charges. Just shortly after his arraignment, Michael Johnson, the 18-year-old driver of a Volvo S40, said, according to his attorney, that he is not the responsible party in the tragic San Diego accident fatalities that occurred April 4. Accident reports indicate that Johnson was returning from a spring break beach party in La Jolla when he was allegedly involved in a street racing contest with another teen driver – the unidentified 16-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Passat whose name has not been released since he is a minor. According to Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler, the two vehicles were zigzagging across lanes at speeds reaching up to a staggering 100 m.p.h. The 16-year-old driver in the Passat lost control over the vehicle, causing the car to flip over several times across multiple lanes of the road. Two passengers, Anthony Foreman, 18, and Jayli Campbell, 16, were thrown from the Passat and died at the scene of the accident. Two passengers survived the crash. Charlotte McQuillen, survived the accident although she suffered serious injury as a result of the collision including reports that say the teen will have to recover from traumatic brain injury. Anthoney Taylor, 16, also survived the crash although his injuries are unclear at this time. Johnson did not flee the scene of the accident according to police reports and cooperated with authorities once officers assessed the scene of the collision. The teen has no prior criminal record, although authorities say his vehicle was found containing a small amount of marijuana. Johnson is being charged with intoxicated driving, although his lawyer says there were no field sobriety tests to confirm the teen’s alleged intoxication. Teen driving: reminders for concerned parents Last week, we blogged on actions parents can take to prevent teen car accidents. Tips include:

Sign a parent-teen contract. Download your free contract now.
Enforcing the rules. Every teen driver needs to know that rules are there for a purpose, and when they are broken, consequences will follow.
Have a DUI backup plan. As most parents can attest, there are many instances when teen drivers run into problems that supersede their know-how and maturity. Drinking is one of those problems. In cases of emergency, your teen should have an open-door policy where they feel safe to call you when they need help – such in the case of drunk driving or driving while intoxicated.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC The Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC are specialists in car accident injury. Every personal injury attorney in our San Diego office works hard to seek maximum recovery for every injured client. Your case is handled without any out-of-pocket costs, so do not hesitate to speak to a San Diego personal injury lawyer today for a free legal evaluation. Call us at 1-800-655-6585.