wrongful death lawyer Bellingham Tag

Defective Product Claim for Wrongful Death

Top 5 Things Families Need to Know About Wrongful Death Claims for Bicycle Accidents

Who Gets the Money in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

A successful wrongful death lawsuit provide money to help compensate surviving family members for the unexpected loss of their loved one – including both grief and the loss of financial support. Damages generally include pain and suffering, medical bills, loss of services, lost income, and funeral expenses. Any compensation that is awarded reflects the surviving family members’ losses and their current and future struggles due to the loss. Who gets the money in a wrongful death lawsuit? This varies from case to case as it depends on several factors, including who the surviving dependents are and individual state laws. In general, the family members who were closest to the deceased are eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit and receive a settlement, which is then divided among the parties of interest.

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What You Need to Know Before Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit

No matter how the sudden loss of a family member occurs, it is a painful and emotional experience. But when that loss is caused by someone else’s reckless or negligent behavior, the heartbreak can feel even more devastating. It’s not just grief you’re facing; it’s the heavy burden of knowing that the death could have been prevented. If your loved one died because of another person’s reckless behavior—whether in a car accident or some other tragic event—they may have suffered what is legally known as a wrongful death.

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How Families Can Benefit from Filing a Wrongful Death Claim

5 Most Common Causes of Wrongful Death Claims

Wrongful death claims are similar to personal injury lawsuits in many ways except that they are brought when a person is killed and not just injured in an accident as a result of the negligence or intentional actions of another party. These claims seek justice and compensation for the deceased person’s family members who have suffered emotional and financial losses. Wrongful death claims can hold responsible parties accountable for their actions and help deter similar incidents from occurring in the future. These claims promote safety and accountability within society.

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Christmas Traffic Fatalities 2022

When Is It Considered a Wrongful Death Car Accident?

Are Wrongful Death Lawsuits Increasing Because of COVID-19?

Wrongful death lawsuits are filed to hold a negligent party accountable and to recover damages for the wrongful death of a loved one. With more than 100,000 Americans now dead after contracting Coronavirus, some may be wondering if wrongful death lawsuits are increasing because of COVID-19?

Thousands of low-paid essential workers are being exposed to the virus every day and that means employers are vulnerable to lawsuits for failing to protect their workers. We already shared a post about the estate of a Walmart worker suing for wrongful death after he died of Coronavirus complications. For low-paid workers with meager health insurance coverage, a wrongful death lawsuit may be the only hope for the family to pay for the medical expenses incurred by their loved one for treating Coronavirus. The question is how many will bring lawsuits and will they be successful?

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2019 Changes to WA State Wrongful Death Laws

Effective, July 28, 2019, Washington State’s wrongful death laws were expanded with the amendment of four statutes in SSB 5163. In short, the Substitute Senate Bill allows a broader category of people to be able to sue for wrongful death (RCW 4.20.020) and expands the types of damages they may recover (RCW 4.20.046). Note that the law was remedial and retroactive and applied to all claims that were not time barred, as well as any claims that were pending in any court on July 28, 2019.

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