The loss of a loved one is something no one is ever prepared for. For every family experiencing the death of a loved one, the loss of a family member means emotional distress, grief, economic and non-economic damages.
However, courts don’t just give out compensations to every family that loses one of its members. That’s what wrongful death laws are for.
Under federal and state laws in Long Beach, you may be entitled to fair and just compensation for losing a family member – spouse, child, parent, grandparent, etc. – due to the negligent, willful, or wrongful act, omission, or fault of another party.
Wrongful death lawyer Howard Craig Kornberg, who has handled hundreds of accidental death lawsuits all across California in the past decades, explains what a wrongful death claim means.
What is a wrongful death claim?
Wrongful death laws cover a plethora of causes of death such as car collisions, construction accidents, dog bites, and many others.
Fact: every year, more than 30,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents across the U.S.
While a wrongful death lawsuit is supposed to punish negligent parties for their wrongful acts, it’s also meant to compensate the deceased’s family members who may suffer from financial, emotional, physical, and psychological hardship as a result of the death.
Depending on the circumstances of your family member’s death, you may be entitled to compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Long Beach?
If you lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligence, you can file a wrongful death claim if you’re a surviving spouse, parents, or dependent children.
Typically, the surviving family (plaintiff) will be required to set up an estate of the decedent to pursue legal action, but it’s vital to consult a Long Beach wrongful death lawyer to find out if you are required to set up an estate to pursue a claim in your particular case.
Damages that can be recovered in a wrongful death lawsuit
Depending on the circumstances in your loved one’s death, you may be entitled to non-economic damages such as losses, injuries, pain, and suffering associated with the decedent’s death.
As for the monetary damages, the surviving family may be entitled to seek compensation for all economic expenses that have been incurred as a result of the defendant’s negligent acts (medical bills, funeral, and burial expenses) as well as lost wages and loss of consortium (especially if the deceased was a sole provider in the family).
The surviving spouse – as well as other members of the family – may be awarded non-economic damages for emotional distress and suffering associated with the loss of a loved one.
A family may also be awarded with compensation for the deceased’s pain and suffering prior to the death. Other damages may be recoverable in a wrongful death claim depending on your particular case.
Here at the Law Offices of Howard Craig Kornberg, our Long Beach wrongful death attorneys offer exceptional legal representation to families whose loved ones have been killed as a result of someone else’s negligence.
Our lawyers work in cooperation with skilled economists who assess the full value of wrongful death claims, including economic and non-economic damages, to provide clients with a fair figure for all the damages and losses, and maximize compensation.
Consult our experienced wrongful death lawyers in Long Beach to assess the full value of your damages, losses, and injuries, as well as file a wrongful death lawsuit to get compensated.
Find out what’s your best course of action in your particular case by contacting our lawyers in a free initial consultation.
