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Sadly, there are many situations in which the victims of personal injury accidents suffer severe injuries that result in death. According to state law, the death of a person caused by the conduct of another, whether intentional or unintentional, such as a negligent mistake, can give rise to a wrongful death claim.
Do you need legal assistance?
A Walla Walla wrongful death lawyer could help you take constructive action by pursuing an insurance claim or filing a lawsuit. Damages from the proceeding could help ease the financial impact of losing your loved one.
Filing a personal injury case with the help of an injury attorney could also hold the wrongdoer accountable for their actions. Contact Hess Injury Law in Walla Walla today to get started.
The plaintiff in a wrongful death action is the personal representative of the deceased’s estate. Typically, the deceased’s spouse or registered domestic partner serves as the personal representative. The people who may be entitled to money out of a wrongful death recovery are called “beneficiaries.”
Washington law defines beneficiaries as “the spouse, state-registered domestic partner, child or children, including stepchildren, of the person whose death shall have been so caused. Suppose there is no spouse, state-registered domestic partner, or such child or children. In that case, such action may be maintained for the benefit of the parents or siblings of the deceased.”
When filing a wrongful death claim in Walla Walla, the WA personal injury attorney brings the lawsuit on behalf of all the beneficiaries of the deceased person’s estate. For example, if the decedent leaves no spouse and three children, and one of the children brings a wrongful death lawsuit, the two other children also have a right to the proceeds of the suit.
A cost is associated with losing a family member, and the money a plaintiff receives as damages in a successful wrongful death case should compensate for that loss.
Some damages might include:
Suppose the deceased person lived for a time after a catastrophic injury. In that case, the estate could receive non-economic damages on behalf of the deceased. These damages acknowledge the deceased person’s pain and suffering, anxiety, emotional distress, and suffering in the period before death.
To win damages, the plaintiff must prove that someone else’s careless, reckless, or intentional act created the condition that led to the fatal injury. A seasoned attorney in Walla Walla can review the circumstances to help your family determine whether suing for wrongful death is viable.
Some wrongful death claims, at first instance, look like other types of claims.
These include the following:
A claim could go from seeking maximum compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages to trying to fill the gap of a lost loved one.
The vehicle wrecks that lead to wrongful death claims in our area happen most often on the highways and roads our community uses every day. The most common situations include:
Identifying the cause of the crash is the foundation of a wrongful death case. The cause determines who is responsible, what insurance coverage applies, and what evidence has to be preserved before it disappears.
The person behind the wheel is not always the only party who can be held responsible for a fatal crash. Depending on the facts, liability can extend to:
In commercial trucking cases especially, evidence like electronic logging device data, driver qualification files, and post-crash testing has to be preserved quickly, sometimes within days of the crash, before it gets lost or overwritten. The faster a lawyer is involved, the better the chances of locking down what really happened.
Hess Injury Law, is a law firm dedicated to serving the injured residents of Walla Walla, Washington. We have been helping injured victims for more than 60 combined years, and we focus our practice on personal injury and wrongful death law.
A Walla Walla wrongful death lawyer understands the law and the turmoil your family is experiencing. They can fight on your behalf for the compensation you deserve. Schedule a case review with a professional who can get your family the financial security and emotional closure you need today.