When you lose a family member unexpectedly, it is a very painful and trying period in your life. There is very little that you will experience that is worse than this. You have just lost a loved one and face some financial challenges because the death was sudden. There are sudden costs that appear, and they need to be dealt with immediately. It is no less sad to lose someone due to long illness, but the difference is what seems like an inability to mourn and grieve when someone dies suddenly. There is no time to prepare, to review what needs doing, to process the loss, and what it means to the rest of your life and the lives of the rest of the family. When you factor in the possibility that your loss came at the hands of someone who was negligent, dangerous, or reckless, you may find yourself angry beyond description in your attempt to understand how anyone could do what has been done. If you find yourself in this position, please call Normandie Law Firm. We can help you deal with the legal aspects of a wrongful death and give you some options on taking action.
No amount of money is going to replace your spouse, child, sibling, or parent. What it can do is alleviate the stresses of lost income and the sudden and unanticipated costs of medical care and a funeral. What it will do is attempt to replace the lost income from your family member so that you aren’t looking for a new place to live, and a child doesn’t have to drop out of college because tuition is due. When your loved one is gone due to wrongful death, the responsible party needs to be held accountable legally and financially. What is the average cost of hiring a wrongful death lawyer in the Bay Area? Normandie Law Firm will help you figure that out.
The most recent surveys show the average hourly billing rate for civil lawyers in the State of California is roughly $350. Many of the well-known firms with strong reputations bill more per hour than that if they take on a wrongful death lawsuit. When you try to estimate what the out-of-pocket costs many families deal with when filing a wrongful death lawsuit in California, the number can be large and often grows to be well over $25,000. What differentiates Normandie Law Firm from other highly respected and experienced law firms is that we will not charge you any upfront legal fees or expenses when we take on your case.
Every member of our legal team is passionate about the law and the protection it offers to people going through the loss of a loved one. We believe that without expert advice, navigating the complex legal system is very difficult and sometimes proves to be impossible. We are ready to provide you with our experience in litigating and often settling these types of suits with no initial costs. We only bill you after the case is resolved and you have been awarded damages, which will include our fees.
When you are ready to pursue the person or entity that is responsible for the death of your loved one, please pick up the phone and call the legal team at Normandie Law Firm. We can answer most of your basic questions over the phone and get you scheduled with a wrongful death lawyer in the Bay Area as soon as you have time. That consultation is free, and we will complete an assessment of your case as quickly as we can.
Once the lawyers have all the vital information, they will review the legal merits of your case and advise whether you have grounds to move forward with your wrongful death lawsuit. With this valuable information, you will have all the information and resources needed to make a wise and well-informed choice about your family’s future. Please do call our offices today. There is a time limit for you to file your wrongful death lawsuit with the court in the State of California.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$1.9 Million
$600,000
$1.5 Million
$54 Million
$525,000
$1.2 Million
How Long Do I Have To File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In California?
In cases involving wrongful death, the family has 2 years from the date of the death to file a lawsuit with the court. If the lawsuit is not filed when the time limit expires, you lose the right to seek compensation for the loss of your family member. Please understand that there are only limited exceptions to this time limit that give you additional time to file a claim after the two-year time limit is reached. Please take the time as soon as you are able to call the Normandie Law Firm to review the details of your wrongful death claim. We can determine time-wise what is needed to prepare and file your lawsuit and make sure that we do not exceed the Statute of Limitations.
Understanding The Rules Around Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Wrongful death includes the loss of life due to the actions of another person, persons, or an entity like a corporation. It can be the result of an accident, intentional recklessness, or even an assault. Typically, these cases center on some sort of accident that was caused by another and resulted in the loss of a life, such as:
- Vehicle accidents and pedestrian versus vehicle accidents
- Drownings
- Accidents involving a firearm or other weapon
- Exposure to toxic substances
- Some forms of abuse or neglect, like elder abuse
- Medical malpractice
- Work accidents
- Defective products that caused or created a dangerous situation
Who Can File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In California?
In California, a wrongful death claim can only be filed by the surviving family that will be impacted by the loss. This includes:
- Surviving spouse or domestic partner
- Any children of the deceased
- Parents of the deceased for a minor child
For additional details on who is capable of filing a wrongful death lawsuit and how it might impact a case for your lost loved one, please reach out to Normandie Law Firm at your convenience. Our team is here around the clock to answer these types of questions.
Who Can Be Sued In A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
You can sue any individual or entity that behaved in a negligent or reckless manner whose actions caused the death of your loved one. The most common targets of a wrongful death lawsuit are:
- The person who is directly responsible for the death by action or circumstance
- A group whose behavior and actions led to or caused the death
- An entity, such as a corporation or employer, that may have created a dangerous workplace
The Average Value Of A Wrongful Death Lawsuit
It can be difficult to assess after the sudden passing of a loved one. As you mourn the loss, it can be challenging to sit down and try to calculate what the financial impact is going to be for what would have been the rest of their life. This is one of the areas where the Normandie Law Firm can assist you, as we are highly experienced in all phases and processes. The creation of a spreadsheet quantifying the life of a loved one is complex at any point. It is, however, an essential part of a lawsuit. California law permits those who have lost a loved one to wrongful death to seek damages for financial and non-financial loss in these cases.
There are additional costs that we need to evaluate beyond the loss of income due to the untimely death of your loved one. Examples such as the loss of insurance coverage from their employer, medical costs for any treatment administered before their passing, the cost of final arrangements, the loss of pension, social security, and other retirement benefits like 401k, higher education funding that could have been provided to children, and many other monetary benefits.
The non-economic damages we advise you to seek include things like the pain and suffering they sustained, your pain and suffering due to the loss of your loved one, as well as your loss of companionship and emotional support. These factors should also be evaluated for each member of the immediate family as they work to deal with the emotions and loss of a family member. This can be incredibly difficult to take a step back from the immediate events and emotions of the moment. Normandie Law Firm has assisted many families in your position. We will guide you in evaluating the impact of your loss. An in-depth evaluation of the monetary consideration portion and the emotional loss will be painful in many ways, but it is vital that we determine what your needs are so that you are fully compensated today and in the future for the loss that you will carry with you forever.
In California, the average wrongful death case damages award will have a dollar value between $250,000 and $500,000. This is only an average, and your legal team at Normandie Law Firm will work hard to make sure you and your family get the full value for the loss of your loved one. Please understand that our primary reason for discussing these topics and asking these uncomfortable questions is to ensure that we are protecting you and your family. Our job is to look out for your best interests and secure the full compensation you deserve for the loss of a loved one.
What Is The Average Cost Of Hiring A Wrongful Death Lawyer In The Bay Area?
You should never worry about hiring a legal team to represent you and your family in a wrongful death lawsuit. At Normandie Law Firm, we are ready to furnish expertise and dedication without asking for any upfront payment. After we have completed the litigation or settlement discussions and you have the compensation you need, you will receive a bill for our services. Only then will we get paid for our work in preparing, filing, and litigating your wrongful death lawsuit. This simple process makes certain you get the money you deserve and that the legal costs get included in the suit damages.
Our promise to each and every family we represent is that you will owe Normandie Law Firm nothing for our services if we do not win your lawsuit. We pledge that we will always put your best interests and your family’s needs and wishes first. If we do not win your case, we will work for free rather than leave you with no compensation and added legal expenses. Please do not hesitate to contact the Normandie Law firm if you have lost a loved one to a negligent act.
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