Riverside Wrongful Death Lawyer

Losing a loved one because of the negligence or wrongful actions of someone else is devastating. The Gonzales Law Offices has helped many families with wrongful death claims when they’ve lost a family member in such a manner. An experienced Riverside wrongful death lawyer knows a claim won’t make up for your loss, but they can help answer your questions, explore your options, and maximize recovery during this difficult time.

What Is a Wrongful Death Case?

In a wrongful death case, the survivors of a deceased person bring a claim on behalf of their family member who died because of someone’s negligent actions. In order to succeed with a wrongful death case in Riverside, you need to prove the following elements of your case:

• A death occurred
• The death was caused by the negligence or intentional actions of someone else
• The death created damages to be recovered by the surviving family members

Wrongful death cases can be complicated, and often, the first step is to determine whether you are eligible to pursue a claim for a wrongful death.

Who Is Eligible for a Wrongful Death Claim?

In California, only specific people are able to pursue a claim for a wrongful death. You might not be able to recover damages if you are not a representative of the decedent or if you are not an eligible party.

Generally, someone’s next of kin and/or their estate can bring a civil case. Next of kin typically includes surviving family members like a spouse, domestic partner, children, siblings, or parents. The goal is to provide recovery to any surviving family member who would traditionally receive support had the decedent lived.

What Are Some Common Riverside Accidents Resulting in Wrongful Death Cases?

Many different types of accidents result in wrongful death cases. Unfortunately, preventable deaths have occurred in the following ways:

• Drunk driving accidents
• Commercial trucking accidents
• Vehicle accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Toxic waste exposure
• Medical malpractice matters
• Premises liability accidents
• Incidents involving defective products

If your loved one passed as a result of someone’s actions or inactions, it is important to understand how to prove negligence.

How Can I Prove Negligence in a Riverside Wrongful Death Case?

In any wrongful death matter, it is critical to prove negligence or that someone’s willful actions led to a death. The death must have been caused by someone’s negligence or willful intent to recover financially. Negligence can be proven by showing:

• Someone owed your loved one a duty to act reasonably to keep them safe under the factual circumstances.
• They breached this owed duty of care by negligently (carelessly) or intentionally failing to provide reasonable care – that they didn’t act reasonably under the factual circumstances.
• This breach of their owed duty resulted in the death of your loved one.
• Your family suffered damages from their death.

Each element of negligence must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. You may be able to recover financially for the death of your loved one if you move forward with a formal claim to recover legal damages, or compensation.

What Compensation Is Typically Available in a Riverside Wrongful Death Case?

The parties eligible to pursue a wrongful death claim typically seek economic and non-economic damages. These damages can include the following:

• Medical expenses from when their loved one was alive (since these injuries ultimately may have led to their death)
• Wage loss, if the decedent’s spouse and/or children depended on the decedent for financial support
• Loss of household support
• Loss of childcare support
• Expenses from any funeral and related burial expenses for their loved one
• Emotional distress
• Loss of medical or retirement benefits
• Damages from the loss of companionship and affection
• Other losses resulting from the death of a family member

A knowledgeable wrongful death attorney in Riverside can further discuss all potential claims for financial recovery. They can help you explore all possible methods of recovery and ensure you’re receiving the maximum compensation available to recover from the loss of a loved one.

Is There a Deadline in Riverside to Bring a Claim Following a Wrongful Death?

It is important to act quickly if you think your loved one may have died because of someone else’s negligence. There is a deadline to bring a claim following a wrongful death, which requires you to pursue your case within a limited period of time. Otherwise, you may risk losing the ability to recover financially for your loss.

Case deadlines exist in order to preserve important evidence. The deadline for a wrongful death case gives you time to investigate the death and also to consult an attorney. The time you have to pursue your claim depends on who may have caused the accidental death, how it happened, and where it happened. A well-informed wrongful death attorney can discuss your circumstances and help ensure you meet all applicable court deadlines.

Why Should I Retain a Riverside Attorney for a Wrongful Death Case?

An experienced attorney can help with your wrongful death matter. Specifically, an attorney can help:

• Work with surviving family members to tell the story of the decedent.
• Evaluate the likelihood of success in your specific case.
• Investigate the wrongful death and determine its cause.
• Conduct depositions and gather evidence to support your claim.
• Build a strong wrongful death claim on your behalf.
• Establish all elements necessary to prove negligence.
• Determine whether there are any case weaknesses and how to bolster those weaknesses.
• Prove someone was responsible for causing the death.
• Challenge the opposing side and their evidence.
• Provide compassionate representation for a legal claim while you move through the grieving process.
• Protect your legal right to full and fair compensation.
• Retain any necessary expert witnesses to examine the case and address the value of your recovery.
• Challenge the experts retained by the other side, as necessary.
• Protect your interests with respect to any settlement offers and negotiate on your behalf.
• Discuss the impact of any settlement offers on your claim.
• Represent you and your family in court, if necessary, if you are unable to resolve your matter before moving forward with a formal trial.

It is important to retain an attorney to ensure you are receiving fair compensation for the loss of your family member. An experienced attorney at Gonzales Law Offices can work side-by-side with you throughout your wrongful death case.

FAQs

Gonzales Law Offices – An Experienced Riverside Wrongful Death Attorney

If you have lost a loved one because of someone else’s negligence, it’s critical to consult with Gonzales Law Offices in Riverside. We can help support you during the process and pursue all possible avenues of recovery in your unique case. Each wrongful death case is different, and we can tailor our advice to your case and provide compassionate legal services.

Contact Gonzales Law Offices to schedule an initial consultation with our experienced Riverside wrongful death attorney, Mark Gonzales.