When you experience the loss of a loved one under any circumstance, it is going to be devastating and one of the most painful experiences you will ever have in your life. It is a part of life that many will experience, and chances are that you have already been through it as a child. Adding to the pain of this experience as a responsible adult is the realization that there is little time to grieve as life goes on. There are a great many things that need to be handled, and they are happening quickly. One of them may be learning that there may be a responsible party for the death of your family member. Who are you supposed to turn to for help in dealing with this news? What are your options?
The unexpected death of a spouse, a child, or even a parent will often bring a new list of issues that are different. When you add in the potential costs of pursuing a person or company for causing your loss, many people will want to find someone experienced in the process surrounding the pursuit. If you find yourself as one of these people, please reach out to the team at Normandie Law Firm. We can help you deal with your loss from a legal perspective and help you work through the process of filing a lawsuit for a wrongful death here in Orange County.
Money is never going to replace the family members that have been taken from someone. It can only replace the financial support that was provided, so that the impact of the loss does not change the family’s lives more than it already will. What it does accomplish is to give you a tool to handle the coming changes to your life and those of the rest of the family. Many things, such as the unplanned costs of medical care and final arrangements, can often be a significant financial challenge to handle. While the lawsuit is never a quick process, once completed, it will give you the ability to handle these costs and more.
When you lose a family member, we will be able to help you hold the person responsible for that loss. Many of our clients want to know what the pursuit of the person responsible is going to cost them. Considering all the other unexpected costs, it is a reasonable question to ask. Their first question is what the average cost of hiring a wrongful death lawyer in Orange County will be. The Normandie Law Firm is going to help you deal with that and much more.
Recent surveys conducted here in California show us that the hourly billing rate for a civil lawyer in California is around $350.00 on average. A firm with an excellent reputation for successful litigation in cases like yours is going to have a higher hourly rate. When you see the estimates of the costs for many families if they file a wrongful death lawsuit, the out of pocket expense to start the process can be $25,000 or more. Normandie Law Firm does not charge you any upfront legal fees or costs, the way our fellow experienced law firms might.
Many of our team at Normandie Law Firm are highly experienced with cases that involve the unexpected passing of a parent, husband, wife, or child. We also believe that without advice, sorting through the legal system can be very difficult, and many times causes some frustration when just trying to gather some information. We are ready to help you while using our experience in litigation and negotiation of cases and situations. Whether we take your case to court or settle with a responsible party, we only bill you after the matter is settled and you have received damages, which will cover our fees.
If or when you wish to bring a lawsuit against the responsible party for the death of your family member, please reach out to our staff at the Normandie Law Firm. We can answer many of your initial questions over the phone and will schedule an initial consultation with a wrongful death lawyer in Orange County. Our first meeting is free, and the first goal is to review the details of your case and answer any additional questions you may have for us.
After the lawyers have the information and circumstances surrounding the death, their first action will be to assess the legal merits of your case and the grounds for filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Our goal is to make the information you need readily available so that you can make informed decisions about your family’s next steps and actions. Please get in touch with the legal team at Normandie Law Firm when you are ready to begin this part of the process. One factor that will impact your decision is the time limit to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California.
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The Time Limit To File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In California
The Statute of Limitations for a lawsuit filed for wrongful death has a time limit of 2 years. The time limit starts on the date of the passing of the deceased. If the lawsuit is not filed before the time period expires, you may lose your ability to sue for the wrongful death. There are some limited exceptions to this time limit that give you additional time to file. They deal with different situations, such as when the cause of death is determined. In this example, the time limit is still 2 years, but it starts on the date of the cause of death finding. Please make time today to get in touch with the Normandie Law Firm, and we can review the case and determine what the date will be to file. We will also estimate the effort and time needed to prepare and file the lawsuit and give you a target date to begin the process. This will make sure not to exceed the Statute time limit.
Are There Rules For Wrongful Death Lawsuits?
Wrongful death lawsuits are specific to the loss of life caused by the actions of another person, group of people, or an entity like a corporation or business. The actions do not have to be purposeful or even negligent. In fact, death is often the result of an accident and with no malice at all. It can also be due to intentional recklessness that was directed at the deceased, or an assault of some kind that led to the death. The circumstances surrounding wrongful death can vary quite a bit, too. There are many examples like:
- Vehicle and pedestrian versus vehicle accidents, where the actions were called out by authorities
- Drownings and asphyxiation due to a created circumstance by a property owner
- Accidents involving a firearm or other weapon that led to an inadvertent death
- Exposure to toxic substances, such as benzene, occurs through irresponsible handling of the substance
- Some forms of abuse or neglect, like elder abuse in a nursing home
- Medical malpractice by doctors who misdiagnose or make a critical mistake in treating someone
- Work accidents where an employer or property owner fails to provide a safe environment
- Defective products by design or manufacturing that caused injury that led to death
Who Is Allowed To Bring A Lawsuit For The Wrongful Death Of A Family Member?
The lawsuit can only be filed by certain people, and it is restricted to that group. In California, the lawsuit can only be brought by surviving immediate family members who are directly affected by the death of the family member. This includes:
- Any surviving spouse or domestic partner
- A former spouse or domestic partner who is filing on behalf of a minor child who was dependent on financial support from the deceased
- Any children of the deceased person
- The birth parents of a deceased minor child
Please get in touch with the Normandie Law Firm for additional details on bringing a lawsuit at your convenience. Our team is here to answer these questions around the clock.
Who Can Be Sued In A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In California?
You can bring a lawsuit against an individual, group of individuals, or an entity that enabled or influenced the circumstances causing the death of your loved one. This can be a case of negligence, but it is not limited to that. The most common recipient(s) of a wrongful death lawsuit are:
- A person or persons who are directly responsible for the death by action or circumstance
- Anyone who might have failed to provide service that led to the death
- A group whose behavior, decisions, or actions led to or actually caused the death
- Any entity, such as a corporation or employer, that may have created a dangerous workplace by action or lack of action to address a safety hazard
- Any employer whose representative caused the death by conduct or action on behalf of the company
The Average Value Of A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In California
Putting a dollar value on a life can be a challenge when someone suddenly passes away. Often, this brings uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, and it can be challenging to determine the financial loss for someone who has recently passed away. Some people are planners and have spreadsheets for budgets and retirement. It is simply a matter of reviewing the information you have. There are other times when all it does is remind you of your loss and can highlight what you don’t know and have no one to ask. Normandie Law Firm is experienced in this process and can help you determine what the financial loss is going to be. It is never pleasant, but it is a critical component of the lawsuit that will be filed.
When we calculate the financial loss, we find it to be a more straightforward task than the personal damages that we will encourage you to include in the lawsuit. The items like the pain and suffering your family member experienced before their passing, your own pain and suffering, and the many other challenges that you will face without them, all should be considered. These same things should also be taken into account for each member of the immediate family. They are affected as well, and while it may not be the same level, they do count.
This entire process is going to be a difficult challenge and may cause you to question what you are doing. Normandie Law Firm has helped many of our clients through what you are experiencing now, and we are going to help you, too. The typical award for damages in a wrongful death lawsuit is between $250,000 and $500,000 in California. This is only an average, and we want you to remember that the amount you are doing to sue for is arrived at by things that are unique to each family.
What Is The Average Cost Of Hiring A Wrongful Death Lawyer In Orange County?
Normandie Law Firm doesn’t want our client to worry about the cost of hiring us to represent them in a wrongful death lawsuit. We represent our clients without asking for prepayment or upfront expenses. Only after the litigation or negotiation is complete, and more importantly, you have been awarded damages, will we bill for our services. We will not bill you if we do not win the lawsuit. This process allows you to get the money you need and deserve, and the legal fees are included in the damages awarded. Please make the time to contact the Normandie Law firm if you have lost a loved one to a wrongful death.
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Average Cost Of Hiring A Wrongful Death Lawyer In California
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