Have you lost a close family member in a fatal accident in Santa Ana, California? Now is the time to call The Simon Law Group. You may have the right to pursue compensation for lost financial support, medical bills, the costs of a funeral, and harder-to-value suffering. Our experienced Santa Ana wrongful death lawyers can help you maximize your recovery.
For more than a decade, families have trusted The Simon Law Group to help them stand up to insurance companies, product manufacturers, employers, and government agencies after devastating accidents. Backed by over 250 years of combined experience, our award-winning California trial lawyers have $100 million (and counting) in life-changing financial awards.
Don’t settle for less than your family’s wrongful death claim is worth. Demand justice for your loss by trusting our top-rated law firm to fight for you. We offer a free consultation. Contact our Santa Ana law office at (714) 581 8546 to get started today.
How The Simon Law Group Helps Grieving Families After Fatal Accidents in Santa Ana, CA
It’s never easy to lose someone you love. The loss can be much more painful, however, when you’re robbed of the opportunity to say goodbye. When you experience the sudden and tragic death of a family member because of someone else’s carelessness, you should take the opportunity to hold them accountable.
Better yet, focus on grieving your loss and trust an experienced Santa Ana personal injury attorney to take charge of your fight for monetary justice. Families in Santa Rosa choose The Simon Law Group because we’re trustworthy, experienced, respected legal advocates with a proven ability to win top results.
Count on our personal injury attorneys to handle all aspects of your wrongful death claim, including:
- Conducting an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s premature death
- Gathering critical pieces of evidence during the discovery process, such as medical records, accident reports, forensics reports, and witness statements
- Determining the best way to handle claims of contributory negligence
- Enlisting expert witnesses in relevant fields to weigh in on your claim
- Assessing your family’s damages and calculating what your wrongful death case is worth
- Filing your claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company and/or local Orange County court clerk
- Aggressively seeking the best possible terms in a settlement agreement during negotiations with the defense
- Rejecting insulting settlement offers and taking your wrongful death lawsuit to trial, if necessary
We’re here to provide the support and guidance you need during this incredibly difficult time in your life. Don’t worry about the cost of hiring an attorney when you hire our law firm. We represent families on a contingency fee basis.
Pay nothing unless we win compensation for your wrongful death claim. When we win, our fees are taken directly out of your financial recovery. In turn, you pay nothing out of pocket to get our award-winning legal team on your side.
We’re available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact us to schedule a time for a free consultation now.
How Does California Define Wrongful Death?
In California, wrongful death is defined as the death of a person caused by the “wrongful act or neglect of another. At The Simon Law Group, we have vast experience representing clients in wrongful death cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Uber and Lyft rideshare accidents
- Bus accidents
- Mass transit accidents
- Aviation accidents
- Boating accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Matters of premises liability
- Dog bites
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Birth injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Product liability
- Assault
- Sexual assault
If you’ve experienced the unexpected and avoidable death of a family member because someone else was negligent or violent, call our wrongful death attorneys in Santa Ana. Our team is here to listen to your side of the story, help you understand what legal options might be available to you, and support your fight for compensation.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Santa Ana, California?
Not just anyone can file a wrongful death lawsuit after a fatal accident in Santa Ana. In California, this right is reserved for the victim’s:
- Surviving spouse
- Domestic partner
- Children, including stepchildren
- Issue of deceased children (grandchildren); and
- Parent(s).
A wrongful death lawsuit can also be filed on one of these party’s behalf by the personal representative of the victim’s estate. This is someone–often a close friend or family member or a personal injury attorney in Santa Ana–named in the victim’s estate or appointed by a judge.
Can Shared Fault Limit My Family’s California Wrongful Death Recovery?
California follows a system of pure comparative negligence. When a personal injury lawsuit is filed, the plaintiff’s contributory negligence limits how much compensation can be awarded when the claim is resolved. Damages are reduced proportionately to fault up to 99 percent.
In matters of wrongful death, the victim’s shared fault is taken into consideration. So, compensation that can be awarded to surviving family members can be limited if the victim’s negligence played a part in their fatal accident.
For instance, let’s say your spouse was killed in a fatal rollover collision in Santa Ana. Your family’s wrongful death claim is initially valued to be worth $500,000. However, your spouse is assigned 10 percent of the blame for their fatal crash. As a result, your maximum settlement or jury award will be limited to $450,000.
It’ll be essential to get ahead of attempts to shift liability and limit your ability to recover compensation for your loved one’s death. Our wrongful death lawyers in Santa will anticipate these tactics and determine the best way to keep them at bay. The less liability your loved one is assigned for their fatal injuries, the more compensation can potentially be awarded in an insurance claim or lawsuit.
What Damages Can Be Awarded in a Wrongful Death Claim?
Wrongful death claims are designed to help families cope with the costs and suffering associated with a family member’s death. So, the types of damages that can be awarded differ slightly from those that can be awarded in other types of personal injury cases.
In California, the plaintiff in a wrongful death claim can seek compensatory damages for both economic and non-economic losses.
This can include money for:
- Financial support the decedent would have provided if they’d survived
- Loss of gifts of benefits the plaintiffs would have received
- Funeral and burial expenses
- The value of household services provided by the decedent
- Loss of companionship, love, moral support, comfort, assistance, and protection
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of a parent’s training and guidance
Punitive damages–which are awarded solely to punish a defendant–can also be awarded if a jury finds that a defendant’s conduct was clearly oppressive, malicious, or fraudulent. Most often, punitive damages are awarded when a defendant intentionally causes another person’s death or displays a conscious disregard for a person’s safety.
Calculating the damages in a wrongful death case can be particularly challenging. The last thing you want to do is allow the insurance company or another defendant to dictate the terms of your financial recovery. Choosing The Simon Law Group means knowing you’ll have a team of tenacious legal advocates working hard to help you recover all of the compensation to which you’re entitled under California state law.
If the insurance company refuses to make your family a reasonable settlement offer, they’ll have no choice but to go head-to-head against our award-winning California trial attorneys in court.
What is the Statute of Limitations on California Wrongful Death Lawsuits?
In California, a two-year statute of limitations applies to civil wrongful death cases. The statute of limitations begins to run on the date of a victim’s death.
There is one major exception, and it involves government tort claims. If you believe that your loved one’s wrongful death was caused by government negligence, you will have six months to initiate a claim for damages.
If you miss the applicable filing deadline, your family will lose the ability to demand financial accountability for your devastating loss.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Santa Ana Wrongful Death Lawyer
You’ve suffered a devastating loss because someone in Santa Ana, California, was negligent. Now is the time to make them take responsibility for the suffering they’ve caused. The Simon Law Group is here to help you explore your options and fight for a top-dollar financial recovery.
Our Santa Ana wrongful death lawyers have over 250 years of collective experience. We’re recognized as leaders in civil litigation by the Orange County Register, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, and the Consumer Attorneys of California. We’ve helped clients win over $100 million in monetary awards.
Now, you can put our top-rated legal team in your corner. We offer a free consultation, so contact our Santa Ana law office at (714) 581 8546 for the help you deserve. Members of our team are standing by to help right now.
