If someone you love has recently died in an avoidable accident in El Segundo, California, don’t hesitate to call J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers at (323) 284-2834 for a free consultation. You may be entitled to compensation for your devastating loss. An experienced El Segundo wrongful death lawyer from our team can help you fight to maximize your family’s recovery.
Losing someone you love in a sudden accident can turn your world upside down. Along with grief, families are often left facing unexpected expenses and unanswered questions. You don’t have to navigate this process alone.
Why Trust J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers To Handle Your Wrongful Death Claim in El Segundo, CA
Choosing J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers to handle your wrongful death lawsuit sends a clear message to the defense – you won’t be giving up until they’ve made things right.
Here are just a few of the reasons you should trust our team if you’ve lost a loved one in El Segundo, CA:
- Drawing on over 20 years of experience litigating complicated and high-stakes personal injury cases, we’ve helped clients win tens of millions of dollars in life-changing financial awards.
- We’ve been chosen for inclusion in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
- Our lead trial attorney is a top-rated civil litigator with years of experience and a proven track record of success. Drawing on years of experience defending insurance companies against personal injury claims, he brings a unique perspective and strategies to his clients’ cases.
- Since we know the insurance company’s playbook, we’re able to anticipate their tactics, strategize accordingly, and craft legal claims that force them to put our clients’ needs and best interests first.
It’s time for you to grieve your loss and leave the stress of a wrongful death lawsuit to our exceptional legal team. Contact us to discuss your wrongful death case, get answers to your most pressing questions, and learn about our life-changing legal representation today.
There’s no charge for an initial case review with an El Segundo personal injury attorney.
How Does California Define Wrongful Death?
California’s Wrongful Death Act, as stated in Section 377.60, defines “wrongful death” as a “death of a person caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.” Wrongful death cases are typically based on negligence, intentionally harmful torts like assault, criminal acts, or defective products.
In California, a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed by a decedent’s personal representative or one of the following surviving family members:
- Spouse
- Domestic partner
- Child (including stepchildren and adoptive children)
- Grandchild
- Parent, or
- A minor who lived with the decedent for at least half the year and was dependent on them for at least half of their financial support.
Personal representatives are individuals named in a decedent’s will or, if they die intestate, appointed by a Los Angeles County court judge.
Representing Families in All Types of Wrongful Death Cases in Southern California
At J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we know that any act of violence or accident has the potential to be fatal under the right circumstances. No matter how your loved one was killed, we’ll be there to help you fight for financial justice if their death could have been avoided.
We advocate for families in wrongful death cases related to:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Uber and Lyft rideshare accidents
- Bus accidents
- Brain injuries
- Train accidents
- E-scooter accidents
- Boating accidents
- Aviation accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Accidents involving defective products
- Dog bites
- Matters of premises liability
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injuries
- Nursing abuse
- Assault
- Sexual assault
Our depth of knowledge of California wrongful death law, winning legal strategies, and experience handling high-stakes legal claims are game-changers and set the stage for victory. You can learn more about our approach to wrongful death litigation and our track record of success by calling our El Segundo law office today.
What Could My Family’s Wrongful Death Case Be Worth?
Every family’s situation is unique. So, it’ll be important to consider several variables that can potentially impact how much money your family might be awarded if you win your wrongful death lawsuit.
Factors that influence what your case might be worth include:
- How old was the victim?
- What was the victim’s job?
- What was the victim’s income and earning capacity?
- Did you rely on the victim for financial support?
- If so, how much of your financial support did they provide?
- Did the victim provide non-monetary support for the household?
- What, if any, medical bills did the victim have before they passed away?
- What did it cost to have a funeral and burial?
- What was the nature of the relationship between the victim and their surviving family members?
- Was the victim killed because of an act of malice, fraud, or gross negligence?
- Did the victim share any of the blame for their fatal injuries?
All of these things can influence the types of damages you can recover through a wrongful death claim and how much they’re valued. It’ll be important to work with an experienced and resourceful wrongful death attorney in El Segundo, CA, to ensure that your claim is valued properly.
The more you know about its potential value, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to leverage a fair settlement during negotiations or fight for a favorable verdict at trial.
What Damages Are Available in California Wrongful Death Cases?
As the plaintiff in a California wrongful death lawsuit, you’ll have the opportunity to request both economic damages and non-economic damages from an insurance company or at-fault party.
Economic damages are designed to help you deal with the financial consequences of your loved one’s wrongful death, which often include:
- Financial support from wages, income, and business interests
- The value of household and family support
- Loss of gifts, benefits, or inheritance
- Funeral and burial expenses
Non-economic damages are designed to acknowledge the grief and life changes you suffer in the wake of a loved one’s death, such as:
- Loss of care, companionship, comfort, love, affection, protection, society, and moral support
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of parental training and guidance
Damages for the victim’s pain and suffering can potentially be awarded to the estate through a related survival action if the victim survived their fatal injuries for some period of time before passing away.
California state law also permits a jury to award punitive damages when presented with clear and convincing evidence of malice, fraud, or gross negligence at trial.
Can Shared Fault Affect a California Wrongful Death Settlement?
It can. California follows a system of pure comparative negligence. Under state law, a plaintiff’s damages can be reduced proportionately to shared fault. In cases involving wrongful death, the decedent’s contributory fault is taken into consideration.
Let’s say your family member was killed in a fatal car crash in El Segundo. It’s concluded that your loved one shared 25 percent of the blame for the deadly auto accident. When you file a wrongful death claim, your potential financial award will be subject to a 25 percent reduction to account for the shared liability.
Many times, allegations of contributory fault are made in the absence of evidence or fact, especially when the victim isn’t around to defend themselves or tell their side of the story. When you’ve hired our California wrongful death attorney in El Segundo to handle your case, you won’t have to worry about underhanded tactics like these.
What Does It Cost To Hire a Wrongful Death Attorney in El Segundo?
Our personal injury law firm represents families in wrongful death litigation on a contingency fee basis. You pay absolutely nothing until we recover compensation for you. When we win, our attorney fees are paid out of the settlement or jury award we obtain on your family’s behalf.
If we don’t win your wrongful death lawsuit, you pay nothing. This offers a no-risk opportunity to get experienced legal representation when you need it most.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death Lawsuits in California?
Most wrongful death lawsuits in the state of California must comply with a two-year statute of limitations. This provides a two-year window from the date of a victim’s passing to formally seek damages from an at-fault party or their insurance company.
Your family or the decedent’s personal representative must file the wrongful death lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out. If you don’t, you risk losing the ability to recover compensation for your loss.
Schedule a Free Case Review With an Experienced El Segundo Wrongful Death Lawyer
Don’t hesitate to call J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, if someone you love was recently killed in a fatal accident in El Segundo, California. You need time to grieve. We can offer the top-rated legal representation you need to get the financial justice you deserve.
Our personal injury team draws on 20 years of experience handling complex legal disputes. Working for and against insurance companies, we can offer unique strategies and knowledge that do more than level the playing field. We give our clients the upper hand and help them win compensation in the process.
There’s limited time to act, so call our law office for a free consultation with an El Segundo wrongful death lawyer today.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Firm Located in El Segundo, CA
J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers
880 Apollo St, El Segundo, CA 90245
(323) 284-2834