When you have to deal with the unexpected loss of a loved one, it is a very painful and emotional experience. There are many facets to it. This is one of the worst things in our lives that we might have to deal with. In addition to the pain you are already processing, you discover that the death was caused by another person. Medical bills and funeral costs loom as you try to process your loss. These are the sudden costs that need to be dealt with soon.
The loss of a family member isn’t lessened because they have been ill for a time, but in that situation, it does allow you to plan and budget. You also have the time to grieve, as you have been mentally preparing for their loss. The sudden death provides no time to plan and prepare. When you realize that your loss came at the hands of a person who may have been negligent or reckless, you may find yourself more upset than you were initially. You are going to want to know how this happened and how someone could cause this. If you are experiencing a sudden loss due to the act of another person, please call us at the Normandie Law Firm. We can help you determine if the passing of a loved one is a wrongful death. If it is, we can give you some options to deal with the impact on your family and life.
Money is not going to replace the person you lost. It is only going to try to replace the money that they would have provided the family if they hadn’t died. What it can do is help you deal with the changes to your life. Things like unplanned costs of medical care and final arrangements are going to be the unanticipated costs. It will mean that you don’t have to go looking for a new home, and that the family doesn’t suffer more unplanned changes. When you lose a family member to wrongful death, the person responsible for that loss needs to be accountable. When we get a call from a client going through what you are right now, their 1st question is usually about the average cost of hiring a wrongful death lawyer in Los Angeles. Normandie Law Firm is going to help you determine that and more.
There have been recent surveys that tell us the average hourly billing rate for civil lawyers in the State of California is more than $350.00. If you find a firm with a reputation for successful litigation to work with, they bill more per hour than that. If you review the estimates of what the costs are for many families when they file a wrongful death lawsuit, their out of pocket costs to start the process can be as large as $25,000. The final total will be higher. What differentiates the Normandie Law Firm from other experienced and respected law firms is that when we take on a case, we do not charge you any upfront legal fees or expenses.
Each member of the team at Normandie Law Firm is experienced with cases involving the unexpected death of a husband, wife, or child. Without expert advice, sorting through the legal system can be challenging, complex, and often frustrating. We are ready and very capable when it comes to being prepared to serve you, using our experience in litigation, and sometimes being able to settle this type of suit before we get to court. We will only bill you after the case is won and you have been awarded damages, which will include our fees. There will be more on this later.
If you wish to file a Los Angeles lawsuit against the person or entity that is responsible for the death of your family member, please call the legal staff at the Normandie Law Firm. We can answer most of your basic questions over the phone and then schedule an initial consultation with a wrongful death lawyer in Los Angeles at your earliest convenience. This first meeting is free, and the goal is to determine the merits of your case and answer any follow up questions.
Once the lawyers have all of your information, their first task is to review the legal merits of the case and advise you on whether you have the grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit. You will then have the information as well as the resources you need to make a good decision about your family’s next steps and actions. Please get in touch with our team today if you are ready and want to start the process. One thing we want you to know is crucial to the process. There is a time limit for filing a wrongful death lawsuit with the court.
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The Time Limit To File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In California
Any case or lawsuit that deals with wrongful death has a time limit of 2 years to file a lawsuit with the court. The time limit begins on the date of the passing of your Los Angeles family member. If the lawsuit is not filed before the time period expires, you will likely lose your ability to receive compensation for the wrongful death. There are only a few very limited exceptions to this time limit that give you additional time to file. Please call the Normandie Law Firm as soon as you have time. We can review the information about your wrongful death claim and tell you how successful we believe the lawsuit will be. We can also estimate the effort and time needed to prepare and file your lawsuit. If you aren’t ready to file suit at the time, we can give you a target date to start the process that will ensure we do not exceed the 2-year time limit.
What You Need To Understand About The Rules For Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Wrongful death is 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 death is often the result of a complete accident, which is to say, without malice. It can also be due to intentional recklessness, or even an assault of some kind. Regardless of motivation, there may be someone responsible for the circumstances that led to the death. There are many examples like:
- Vehicle and pedestrian versus vehicle accidents
- Drownings and strangulation
- Accidents involving a firearm or other weapons, such as knives and clubs
- Exposure to toxic substances such as benzene
- Some forms of abuse or neglect, like elder abuse in a nursing home
- Medical malpractice in hospitals by doctors, such as misdiagnosing or making a critical mistake in treatment
- Work accidents of all kinds where the employer or property owner failed to ensure a safe workplace
- Defective products that caused injury leading to death
Can Anyone Sue For A Wrongful Death In California?
No, the suit can only be brought by a restricted group of people. In California, it can only be filed by the surviving immediate family members who are directly affected by the death. This includes:
- The surviving spouse or domestic partner
- Any children of the deceased person
- The parents of a deceased minor child
For additional details on filing a lawsuit for a wrongful death, please contact the Normandie Law Firm at your convenience. Our team is here to answer these questions around the clock.
Who Can Be Sued In A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
You are allowed to bring a lawsuit against an individual, group of individuals, or an entity you believe acted or behaved negligently or recklessly, causing the death of a family member. The most common recipient(s) of a wrongful death lawsuit are:
- Any person who is directly responsible for the death by action or circumstance
- Anyone who might have failed to provide service, causing the death
- A group whose behavior and actions led to or caused the death
- Any entity, such as a corporation or employer, that may have created a dangerous workplace
- Any employer whose representative caused the death by conduct on behalf of the company
The Average Value Of A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In The State Of California
Placing a dollar value on a life can be difficult when someone suddenly passes away. It can be a challenge to sit down and calculate what the financial impact is for what would have been the rest of their lives. Sometimes it is just a matter of doing some math if you are a planner. Sometimes, all it does is freshen the feelings of your loss. The Normandie Law Firm is very experienced in all the areas and processes to help figure this out. It is a difficult process to complete, but it is a necessary and essential component of your wrongful death lawsuit.
Determining your financial loss is often easier than the non-economic damages we want you to include in your lawsuit. When you take into account things like the pain and suffering your family member might have experienced before passing, your own pain and suffering because of the loss of a lifelong companion, and overall the challenges that you will now face without them, they should all be part of the value of the loss of your family member. These factors should also be evaluated for every member of the immediate family, as they, too, will work to deal with the emotions and loss of a mother, father, or sibling. This is going to be an incredibly difficult challenge and is going to take some time.
When you have to take a step back from the event and set aside the emotions of the moment, it can be a struggle. Normandie Law Firm has assisted its clients in the same position, and we can help guide you in evaluating the impact of this loss. There is no question that an in-depth evaluation of the financial implications and emotional loss will be one of the most painful things you do. It forces a level of analysis that few people experience under normal circumstances. It is critical to determine your needs now and in the future as you prepare to move forward.
In the State of California, the average award for damages in a wrongful death lawsuit is between $250,000 and $500,000. As stated, this is an average, and remember that the amount being sued for is influenced by many things that will be unique to each case. The legal team at Normandie Law Firm will work to maximize what we can sue for to the best of their ability.
The Average Cost Of Hiring A Wrongful Death Lawyer In Los Angeles
Normandie Law Firm doesn’t want you to worry about the upfront costs when hiring us to represent you in a wrongful death lawsuit. We will furnish our expertise and dedication without asking for any upfront payment for services. Only after we have successfully litigated your case and you have received the compensation you deserve will we be paid for our work in preparing, filing, and taking your case to court. This process makes sure you get the money you need and that all the legal costs are included in the suit damages instead of coming from your pocket. Please get in touch with the Normandie Law firm if you have lost a Los Angeles family member to a negligent act. We can help you work through what is ahead.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Average Cost Of Hiring A Wrongful Death Lawyer In San Francisco
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Average Cost Of Hiring A Wrongful Death Lawyer In The Bay Area
