Wrongful death lawsuits compensate survivors of the deceased. This is in contrast to a personal injury lawsuit, which compensates the person who suffered the injuries for his damages. In Washington, the deceased’s personal representative may file the claim for the benefit of spouse, children and stepchildren. Parents or siblings may be beneficiaries if the person had no spouse or children. Our attorneys have law offices in Vancouver and Mercer Island and serve all of Washington state with the untimely and negligent death of a loved one.
We Help Families Identify and Collect Wrongful Death Damages
A successful wrongful death lawsuit should recover all of the damages to which you and your family are entitled. Some examples of damages that you may pursue in your case include the following:
- funeral and burial costs.
- medical expenses for treatment of the deceased before death.
- loss of consortium and companionship.
- loss of guidance for children.
- lost wages of the deceased.
- and, in some cases, punitive damages.
A wrongful death lawyer at the Holland Law Group will ensure your case identifies each of the damages that your family suffered as a result of your loved one’s death. A lawyer then gathers evidence and builds a case to help recover those damages in a wrongful death action.
Our Attorneys Help Collect Evidence of Fault for the Wrongful Death
Like personal injury cases, your wrongful death case requires establishing that another party caused your loved one’s accident and ultimately his or her death. This means that you must present valid evidence of another party’s fault.
The Holland Law Group conducts complete accident investigations so that we can collect all evidence that’s available. The type of evidence we collect will depend on the type of accident. We collect police reports, photographs, medical reports, surveillance videos, eyewitness testimony and more. We may even hire expert witnesses if necessary to prove liability for your loved one’s death.
You May Have a Survival Action
If your loved one filed a personal injury claim for an accident prior to his or her death, that action survives and may continue even after death. The deceased’s personal representative may continue the action, but may recover damages only for the benefit of those mentioned above (spouse, children, stepchildren, etc.).
The survival action may pursue damages related to “pain and suffering, anxiety, emotional distress or humiliation” suffered by the deceased. We will help you identify the damages recoverable in the survival action and assist in quantifying these damages to recover a fair settlement or judgment.
Speak with a Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
A wrongful death and survival action not only helps recover financial benefits, but it also can help survivors gain a sense of closure. We understand that this is a difficult, trying time. Our lawyers strive to remove as much of the weight from your shoulders as possible by handling the legal necessities to recover damages.