Your loved ones each play an indispensable role in your family. They are irreplaceable whether they provide financial support or guidance and love, or a combination of both. Nothing can bring them back when they die at someone else’s hands.
The only thing that families can do is look to the responsible party to pay for their damages in a wrongful death lawsuit. But first, you must hire an experienced wrongful death attorney near you to fight for your legal rights. A nearby Modesto wrongful death lawyer with Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers can review your options and advise you of your rights.
Whether you’ve lost your loved one to an accident, a defective product or medical malpractice, we can file a wrongful death suit on your behalf seeking compensation for funeral and burial costs, the loss of your loved one’s income, your suffering and grieving, and more.
When we handle wrongful deaths, we represent clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t charge a fee until and unless we recover compensation. This means no upfront or out-of-pocket fees – the only fee is a percentage of whatever money is recovered.
We have decades of experience with California law and have been handling deaths due to a wrongful act since 1990, having recovered over 0,000,000 for clients. Our experience means we recover the most money possible when we file wrongful death lawsuits.
Call us today if your loved one suffered a fatal accident due to someone else’s negligence. You can also text us from this page, or, if you’d like, you can fill out the free case evaluation form on this page.
Types of Wrongful Death Claims Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers Handles
Our qualified lawyers are extensively experienced in handling many types of claims, such as wrongful death claims. We know that in Modesto, wrongful death claims may arise from a variety of circumstances.
Common types of wrongful death cases include:
- Auto accidents: Thousands of fatal auto accidents occur in California every year. It is unfortunate that insurance policies typically won’t provide adequate compensation when this occurs.
- Medical malpractice: Up to 250,000 people die from medical errors every year. These deaths include deaths due to misdiagnosis, surgical errors, birth injuries, aesthesia, failures to diagnose and more.
- Workplace accidents: Thousands of fatal workplace accidents occur in the United States every year. Families of those lost to workplace accidents are typically entitled to compensation through third-party lawsuits or workers’ compensation.
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents: Pedestrians and cyclists are very vulnerable to being killed by vehicles which slam into them. It is unfortunate that California drivers often ignore the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.
- Defective product cases: Fatalities can occur due to defective products for many reasons. Products can be defective due to incorrect labels, manufacturing errors or design flaws, and manufacturers and companies need to be held responsible when deaths happen.
- Swimming pool deaths: Those who own property are duty-bound to make sure their hot tubs and pools are secure and safe. This duty includes making sure gates and fences are built around hot tubs or pools.
There are other types of wrongful death cases, as well. Our lawyers are ready to talk to you about the circumstances of your case. We fully understand that your family is going through a lot after the loss of your loved one – our goal is making the process as easy as it can be so you can find closure for the loss of your loved one.
The Right to File a Wrongful Death Claim
Each person who has the standing to sue for wrongful death may have suffered different losses. California’s wrongful death statute lists the people who can sue. First, we note that there is only one action allowed. Each person on the list of people in the statute may join this lawsuit. They may not sue separately.
Specifically, these people have the standing to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California:
Spouses and Domestic Partners
Surviving spouses or domestic partners of decedents hold the primary right in terms of filing wrongful death claims.
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Children
Natural children, as well as adopted children, of decedents may file wrongful death claims. Both minors as well as adult children can file claims.
Grandchildren
Grandchildren may file claims when their parent (the deceased’s child) is also dead.
Other Dependents
All other individuals financially dependent upon the deceased, including stepchildren, or minors whose guardian was the deceased who provided at least half of their financial support, might also be able to file claims.
Putative Spouses and Putative Children
Putative spouses are those who believe in good faith they are married to someone. The putative spouses of decedents, as well as their children, if they were dependent upon the decedent, may be able to file a claim.
Parents
When biological parents or adoptive parents of decedents are financially dependent upon decedents, they may file wrongful death claims.
Personal Representatives
When no eligible parties such as immediate family members come forth to file claims, decedent estates’ personal representatives may file claims.
How Much Is My Wrongful Death Case Worth?
We can’t answer this question on a webpage, as the value of a wrongful death claim can vary widely from case to case. Our wrongful death attorneys will need to have detailed conversations with you about your circumstances and the deceased person’s role in your life.
No two wrongful death cases are worth the same, given that the court bases damages on how you have suffered. However, when we determine the value of your claim, we will fight for the total amount that you deserve.
What Is a Survival Action?
Wrongful death damages are not the only recoverable damages when your loved one has died. The deceased person has a cause of action separate from the wrongful death lawsuit called a survival action, and lawmakers intend for it to compensate for what the deceased person went through between their injury and death.
Unlike a wrongful death lawsuit, a survival action does not compensate the surviving family members following an unexpected death. Instead, these lawsuits are an avenue for the decedent’s estate to recover damages based on their final expenses. These lawsuits cover claims the decedent could have brought had they lived, including:
- The medical bills for your loved one’s treatment before they died
- Lost wages between the time of injury and death
- The pain and suffering they endured between their injury and death
- Emotional trauma when they realized their impending death
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Possible punitive damages if the defendant’s conduct was particularly heinous (a wrongful death claim cannot include these damages since it centers on the family’s damages)
It is common under California law to combine survival actions with wrongful death lawsuits. After all, these cases share the same facts and target the same defendants. If successful, both the estate and the surviving heirs could hold the at-fault party responsible for their negligence. A wrongful death lawyer from our firm can explain how to pursue both causes of action during an initial consultation.
You Have Limited Time to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Few people have the will or energy to focus on a civil lawsuit following the loss of a loved one. Grieving is never easy, and you must frequently make important decisions regarding a loved one’s estate. Despite all these factors, it is essential to avoid a lengthy delay when considering a wrongful death lawsuit because of a deadline called the statute of limitations.
California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 sets the statute of limitations for wrongful death lawsuits. The deadline for wrongful death cases in Modesto expires two years from the date of your loved one’s death. Our firm will keep track of this deadline and ensure you file your claim on time.
What an Experienced Wrongful Death Attorney Could Do For You
The team at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers recognizes that a wrongful death claim can be a difficult and emotional experience for families. Therefore, you will want a lawyer with the compassion and experience necessary to handle these cases.
Your Modesto wrongful death lawyer will essentially perform two distinct roles in your case:
- They will be your guide to the legal process, making sure that you understand your legal options by explaining the case to you and making themselves available to answer your questions sensitively.
- They will be your fiercest advocate and fighter while you try to hold someone else responsible for your loved one’s death and make them pay for what they did.
We can perform both of these roles. Our lawyers know precisely how to deal with insurance companies that want to save money at your expense. So naturally, insurance companies do not like us — a badge of honor that we wear with pride. They know that we will fight for our clients and will not hesitate to up the pressure on them when they act unreasonably.
Our Wrongful Death Lawyers Have the Experience You Need
Our team has handled countless wrongful death claims. Therefore, we know that families deal with their grief in different ways. We do everything we can to make your life easier during a difficult legal process.
Our lawyers have worked with families going through the same thing, and we commit to learning everything that we can about your situation and understanding your family dynamic. Our lawyers are compassionate when you need it and tough when you require someone to go to bat for you when an insurance company attempts to take advantage of you.
Can I Afford a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
You do not pay anything up front for a wrongful death lawyer from our firm. We will not ask you for a retainer, and we will not send you hourly bills for our services. Instead, if you receive a settlement or jury award, we will collect a percentage of what you get as your recovery.
Why Work With Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers?
At Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, we are passionate about being a figurative David fighting against a figurative Goliath. We fight for the little guys – helping them take on giant, powerful insurance companies. Our firm’s roots are found in public service. While the caseload we have has grown considerably in both complexity and size over time, the things we focus on remain the same.
When we file a wrongful death action, we consider the relationship with our client extremely important, striving to connect with them strongly. We set ourselves apart from other firms via a commitment to providing quality representation. We know that when we seek compensation for catastrophic injuries or deaths, we need to meticulously pay attention to details. We are selective, and this lets us have enough time to give each aspect of every case thorough attention.
We are committed to developing personal connections with clients and fighting tirelessly to assist them in overcoming insurance companies’ and corporate defendants’ vast resources. We highly value promptly communicating with clients, quickly returning phone calls and addressing all concerns they have, whether those concerns are related to a case or not.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers doesn’t just win its cases – we develop relationships with clients that are long-lasting, considering our clients friends once cases end.
At Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, we know that families who lose loved ones are going through an unexpected financial and emotional toll. We are extensively experienced in representing the loved ones of those who died in many types of incidents, such as accidents or even murder.
Our knowledgeable team of lawyers works endlessly to make sure our clients recover the benefits and compensation they deserve – we seek maximum possible payouts and explore every available coverage option. We have a long, successful track record of recovering compensation in court, as we deeply understand wrongful death laws as well as the legal system.
You need lawyers who will fight tooth and nail for yourself as well as your family if you are having to deal with the devastating consequences of your loved one’s wrongful death. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has a commitment to securing justice on behalf of clients and making sure their financial burdens are eased during difficult times.
Reach out to a Modesto Wrongful Death Lawyer at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers About Your Wrongful Death Case
If you have lost a loved one in an untimely manner, you need legal help now to explore your options. The lawyers at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers can help you. We will fight for you to receive your maximum possible financial recovery for the loss of your loved one.
Our team stands ready to serve as your advocates during this difficult time. Your loved one deserves justice, and we look forward to fighting for it on your behalf. To learn about how a Modesto wrongful death lawyer could help, call us today or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.
