Wrongful Death Lawyers in Seattle, Washington, Providing Compassionate Legal Care to the Family Members Grieving Their Lost Loved Ones
When we lose a loved one, we naturally grieve their passing. We can only hope for those we love to live full lives, eventually passing away from natural causes when they are elderly. When a loved one is taken from us before their time due to the negligent actions of other individuals, it can be… infuriating. Unacceptable. Unfair. Unjust.
We want to scream and rage at the world that would allow such a tragedy to fall upon someone we love so much, someone so deserving of living on and seeing their family and legacy grows. There is nothing that can bring them back, no cure for this pain, no means by which to set things right.
There is, however, the opportunity to hold responsible parties accountable under the law and to recover damages from them as a means of punishment.
However much you may receive from a wrongful death lawsuit, it will not be enough to restore your loved one to you. It can’t be. It is, in the end, simply money. But this money can go a long way towards helping a person get back on their feet so that we may continue living to honor those we lost.
At Khan Injury Law, our wrongful death lawyers have years of experience helping grieving family members pursue compensatory damages for the loss of a loved one. This financial compensation can be used to address economic damages such as medical and funeral expenses and lost wages that would have been earned if not for the victim’s death. The settlement can also address non-economic damages, such as the traumatizing emotional distress you may suffer in the wake of the wrongful death.
Our law firm represents clients across the state of Washington with offices located in Kent, Seattle, Tacoma, and Tukwila. You may contact our central office in Seattle to schedule a free consultation at any time so that you may discuss your wrongful death claim with a member of our legal team. Together, we will seek justice for your lost loved one and strive to hold all at-fault parties responsible for their role in the wrongful death.
Under the Law, What is Considered a ‘Wrongful Death’?
If a person’s death is caused by someone’s negligent actions or criminal actions, it may be possible to hold them accountable via a wrongful death suit. It may genuinely have been nothing more than an accident that cost the life of your loved one, but it should still fall to the responsible party to pay for their wrongful act. Otherwise, it would be the family members of the dearly deceased who would be forced to pay for burial expenses and other costs, which would only add insult to their significant loss.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common causes of wrongful death include:
- Bicycle accidents.
- Construction site accidents.
- Defective products.
- Driving recklessly.
- Drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs.
- Elder abuse and neglect.
- Medical malpractice and hospital negligence.
- Negligent care of infants.
- Pedestrian accidents.
- Pharmaceutical drugs.
- Premises liability accidents.
- Truck accidents.
- Workplace injuries.
If your loved one died by some means not listed above, you might still have a valid wrongful death claim. To better determine the validity of your claim, speak with a wrongful death attorney without further delay.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?
In the state of Washington, the right to file wrongful death lawsuits is limited to a select group of individuals who were close to the decedent, either by blood, marriage, or dependence.
Family members who may file a wrongful death suit, including the surviving spouse, any children of the departed, and parents of unmarried children, may sue in an attempt to recover financial compensation. In some instances, the siblings and the grandparents of the decedent may have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit as well.
To be sure that you indeed have the legal authority to file wrongful death claims for your lost family member, it would be advisable to speak with legal professionals about your case.
The domestic partner of the deceased may also have the right to sue for punitive damages and financial compensation. Additionally, any financial dependents that relied upon the decedent may have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Who May Be Held Liable for the Wrongful Death of a Loved One?
Once you hire a wrongful death lawyer, they will take on the responsibility of investigating the victim’s death and all facts relevant to the case. This may include reviewing the victim’s medical records and speaking with medical professionals. It may also involve working with professionals in the fields of accident reconstruction and evidence review.
It is not always easy to win a wrongful death case. One must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused party was responsible for the wrongful death action and that they should be held liable. This task asks too much of family members in emotional distress and is better left to your wrongful death lawyers. It would be best if you were allowed to grieve and be with those you hold dear at a time like this, not negotiating with the insurance company or engaging in complex wrongful death litigation.
Because Washington operates under comparative negligence laws, it is possible to hold multiple parties responsible in wrongful death cases. For example, in fatal car accidents, it may be possible to include the responsible driver, the makers of the other driver’s vehicle, and government entities responsible for safe road conditions.
It is unlikely that an individual person has the finances to make for a satisfying settlement, so it will likely prove necessary to file an insurance claim. Insurance companies do not like paying out any more than they deem necessary, so it is useful to have legal professionals in your corner when pursuing the maximum compensation for the loss you have suffered.
Is it Possible to Recover Damages in the Form of Financial Compensation with a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
With a strong and well-constructed wrongful death lawsuit, your attorneys may be able to recover punitive damages in the form of a sizable financial settlement from at-fault parties. Some of this settlement will relate to economic damages (such as lost future income). At the same time, other forms of compensation are considered non-economic (such as the emotional impact of losing your domestic partner).
Your compensation could help you with the following:
- Burial expenses.
- Emotional distress, such as new symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Funeral expenses.
- Loss of a domestic partner or member of the family.
- Loss of quality of life with the absence of one’s companion.
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity.
- Medical bills relating to personal injury lead to the victim’s death.
- Property damages.
Speak with a wrongful death lawyer to learn more about how financial compensation can benefit you and other surviving relatives of the deceased. Do not feel that by filing a wrongful death claim, you are reducing your loved one’s life to a dollar amount. This is not the case. Again, no amount of money can fill the hole left by your loved one. But this compensation may help take the burden off your shoulders while you attempt to heal. Whether the responsible party was a poor drunk driver or a wealthy surgeon guilty of medical malpractice, it makes little difference. Your insurance claim will reflect the worth of your wrongful death case.
The wrongful death lawyers would be honored to represent you and your family in pursuit of compensation for your significant loss. If we cannot recover damages for your wrongful death claim, you will owe us nothing regarding legal fees.
Does Washington Have a Statute of Limitations for Filing Wrongful Death Claims?
If you are considering whether to file a wrongful death claim, please speak with the lawyers of our firm immediately to determine how you should proceed. Washington has a three-year statute of limitations for wrongful death claims. If you wait until after that three-year mark, you may be out of luck in collecting any punitive damages from the individuals responsible for your loved one’s passing.
In some instances, such as when your wrongful death claims target government entities, you may have even less time to file a wrongful death lawsuit. So, please, do not delay unnecessarily. We understand that this is an emotional time for you, and it can be challenging to find the motivation to think about the law, civil suits, legal liability, and all the rest. But the clock is ticking. Let us help you.
Please give our office a call today to schedule your free initial consultation with a Washington state wrongful death attorney. This is a no-risk consultation. If you do not feel we are the right wrongful death lawyers for your case, you are under no obligation to retain our services.
Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Wrongful Death Attorney at Khan Injury Law
When a loved one suffers a personal injury as the result of someone else’s negligent actions, we naturally seek to hold those responsible accountable and ask that they pay any damages relevant to the injuries. The same goes for those whose injuries prove fatal and who pass away either at the scene of the accident or under the supervision of medical professionals. We must shine a light on the wrongful death action that robbed us of our loved ones so that we can heal and so that, hopefully, other families will not lose their loved ones to a similar fate.
This is a complicated, emotionally trying process, and you should not be asked to navigate the legal system alone. We strongly advise you to consider hiring the legal services of a wrongful death attorney well-versed in Washington’s state laws so that you have a better chance of filing a winning case.
The wrongful death lawyers of our firm have represented clients across Washington, with offices located in Kent, Seattle, Tacoma, and Tukwila. To contact our central office in Seattle, please call us at (206) 203-3978.