Has a loved one been tragically killed in Washington? Our wrongful death lawyers can help.

Losing a loved one due to wrongful death is a devastating experience. When a family member’s life is suddenly cut short as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another, the grief and feelings of loss can be overwhelming. If this has happened in your family, you may be going through a complex array of emotions, including sadness, denial, anger, and hopelessness. No one is ever prepared for such a tragic event.

Understanding Wrongful Death In Washington State by Seattle Attorney, Chris Davis - FREE REPORT

In most wrongful death cases, the estate and certain surviving family members will have a claim for damages. The estate is typically allowed to claim damages for the decedent’s lost earnings, medical expenses, funeral expenses, and conscious “pain and suffering” experienced by the decedent before death. Certain surviving family members may also have individual claims for damages as a result of the decedent’s death, including loss of consortium (i.e., destruction of the relationship) and emotional distress.

An accidental death, unintentional death, or wrongful death claim may arise when a person dies as a result of the negligent, careless, intentional or reckless acts of another person or entity (including a corporation or governmental agency). The death could occur because of a car accident, medical malpractice, an on-the-job injury, nursing home abuse or neglect, or from any other careless conduct. 

Many people are surprised to learn that Washington wrongful death law only allows certain family members to recover for a wrongful death of a loved one. In most fatal accident cases, recovery is limited to a surviving spouse and children. In some death cases the decedent’s surviving siblings and parents may also have separate claims if they are financially dependent on the decedent at the time of death.

A wrongful death or survival action is one of the more complex types of cases in the field of personal injury law. These cases require a thorough knowledge and understanding of Washington’s complex wrongful death and survival laws and the numerous appellate decisions that interpret and define them. These cases almost always involve complex legal issues or questions where the outcomes are heavily, if not completely, influenced by the individual facts of the case. In most cases, a wrongful death action requires urgent investigation and preparation to increase the chances of a favorable outcome. Furthermore, this type of case often requires a substantial outlay of financial resources (many times exceeding six figures) to hire appropriate experts, properly prepare and successfully present the case either to an insurance company or a jury.

FREE Wrongful Death Legal Consultation

Contact us now for a FREE legal consultation regarding your wrongful death case.  We have offices in Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Renton to serve accident victims all over Washington State. 

Yes, we can arrange to have someone come to you if you are unable to visit one of our our offices.    

Blog for Wrongful Death

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• Washington State Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death Cases
• Choosing the right Seattle Washington child wrongful death attorney.
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• The Jewish Shiva - Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyer
• The Memorial Service l Seattle Wrongful Death Attorney
• Wrongful Death Claims Against the Government l Washington Attorney
• Four People Killed in Deadly Highway 9 Crash near Marysville | Washington Wrongful Death Lawyer
• Fatal Head-On Collision I-82 | Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyer
• Seattle Washington Fatal Accident Statistics l Car Wreck Lawyer
• Washington State Wrongful Death Law l Seattle Attorney
• Wrongful Death Expert Opinions l Washington Law
• Calculating and/or Estimating Wrongful Death Compensations l Seattle Wrongful Death Attorney
• Millions Awarded In Wrongful Death Lawsuits In Washington State l Seattle Accidental Death Lawyer
• Accidental/Unintentional Death Laws in Washington State l Wrongful Death Lawyers in Seattle
• Wrongful Death Cases In Washington State l Seattle Attorney
• One Dead After Car Crashes Into A Power Pole l Seattle Wrongful Death Attorney
• Port Orchard Man Killed in Car Crash - Washington Accident Lawyer
• Prosser Teenager Dies In Fatal Car Accident
• Two Die In Kitsap Car Accident
• Washington State Fatal Car Accident Statistics l Washington Car Accident Lawyers & Personal injury Attorneys
• Drunk Driver Accused Of Vehicular Homicide
• Hunting Accident Kills Port Angeles Man
• Seven Year Old Dies In Health Club Accident
• Everett Worker Dies In Worksite Accident
• Derek Calhoun dies from construction accident injuries
• Two Killed in Head-On Collision on Hwy 101 in Jefferson County
• Fatal Accident In Jefferson County - Washington Car Accident Lawyer
• Motorcycle Driver Killed in Kent Crash
• Wrong-way Driver Causes 5-car Pileup on I-405
• Wrongful Death - Motorcyclist Dies on I-5 Sunday
• Man Dies in Head-On Crash on Hwy 12 - Woman Arrested
• Motorcycle Car Crash Kills 2 in Monroe
• Tiger Mountain DUI Death
• Elderly Man Falls 3 Stories to His Death While Staying at Retirement Home
• Seattle Attorney Chris Davis Rejects $1 Million Offer to Settle Wrongful Death Case
• Wrongful Death Cases In Seattle and Washington State
• Wrongful Death: Shares of Taser Slip After Losing Wrongful Death Lawsuit
• Family sues Madison Square Garden in crash that killed 2-year-old
• Washington's Attorney General Is Wrong to Oppose New Wrongful Death Bill

Library for Wrongful Death:

• Funeral Homes, Funeral Services, Mortuaries in Seattle, Washington   
  Description: Planning a funeral in Seattle after a tragic accident? Here is a quick list of funeral homes in the Seattle Washington area.
• Wrongful Death Suit Against a Governmental Entity in Washington State   
  Description: Sometimes a wrongful death claim may exist against a governmental entity, like a town or city, municipality, county, or the state. It may not be immediately apparent that the defendant is a governmental entity (e.g., a transit or utility company) but it is very important to understand that many jurisdictions, including the state of Washington, have specific pre-filing laws for when a claim or lawsuit may be brought against a governmental entity.
• Wrongful Death Lawsuit: The Discovery Process   
  Description: After the wrongful death lawsuit is filed and the defendant is properly and timely served, both sides participate in a process of exchanging information about the case. This process is known as discovery. There are many different forms of discovery, or different ways to request or obtain information from the other side in a case. In Washington state, the rules governing the discovery process are quite broad and allow each side to investigate what evidence and witnesses may be introduced at trial. Even if the requested information does not appear directly relevant to the case, it may still be a proper request if it may lead to the discovery of relevant information.
• Wrongful Death Expert Witnesses   
  Description: After a wrongful death case has been filed in court, it will often require the assistance of expert testimony to help the attorney prove one or more elements of the action. Since wrongful death cases can involve many different issues that are often complex and difficult to prove, an experienced wrongful death attorney will usually want to engage the assistance of one or more experts early on in the case.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution or Mediation in Wrongful Death Cases   
  Description: Depending on the jurisdiction and the complexity of a wrongful death case, the discovery phase in litigation may take many months or sometimes even years. When discovery is finally completed, and each side generally knows what evidence will likely be offered at trial, the parties may then begin to conduct settlement discussions.
• Preparing for a Wrongful Death Trial   
  Description: If the case does not settle after discovery and ADR or mediation has failed, then the case may proceed to trial. Each side has the option of trying the case before a judge or jury. Depending on the jurisdiction, a jury trial may not happen automatically.
• The Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer in a Wrongful Death Case   
  Description: No wrongful death case should ever be filed or pursued without the assistance of a qualified wrongful death attorney.
• Washington State Wrongful Death Law: Civil vs. Criminal Responsibility   
  Description: A person who causes a wrongful death in Washington State may be criminally responsible. For this to occur, the wrongdoer’s conduct must be worse than ordinary negligence. Usually, the wrongdoer must act intentionally or recklessly to be guilty of a crime. If criminal liability exists, the wrongdoer is punished with jail time and/or fines.
• Wrongful Death Action Brought by Personal Representative   
  Description: To bring a wrongful death case, a person called a “Personal Representative” (PR) must first be appointed by the court on behalf of the deceased person’s estate. The PR is the only person who can file and prosecute a wrongful death action. A separate document (called a petition) must be filed in court which asks the judge to specifically appoint the PR. Oftentimes, the PR may also be a wrongful death beneficiary, like a surviving spouse or adult child. If the court accepts the person designated as the PR, then an order is entered giving that person all of the rights and obligations that come with this position.
• Children as Wrongful Death Beneficiaries   
  Description: If the deceased has minor children, then they are considered beneficiaries of the estate and a wrongful death action is pursued on behalf of the children. When minor children are involved, they will have a claim for expected contributions that the deceased parent would have made to them until age 18 – the age of majority in Washington state.

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Frequent Questions for Wrongful Death:

• Is the contingency fee different in a wrongful death case?
• What can/may a wrongful death attorney do for me and my fatal accident case?
• What is the Statute of Limitations for a Wrongful Death Claim in Washington State?
• What is a Survival Action?
• How do I file a claim in a wrongful death case?
• How does a wrongful death insurance claim work?

• What is a dram shop claim?

• What role does the employer-employee relationship play in a wrongful death case?

• What is the 'Principal-Agent Relationship'?
• What is the 'Family Car Doctrine'?
• What about the wrongful death of a fetus?
• Can a parent collect damages (financial compensation) for the wrongful death of a child?

• Can a parent collect damages (financial compensation) for the wrongful death of an adult (over the age of 18) child?

• Can someone collect damages for grief, sorrow & mental anguish over death of a loved one?
• Who has the authority to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Washington State?  Surviving family members?  Children?
• What if a loved one has been killed as the result of an accident that was not their fault?
• How do you start a wrongful death lawsuit?
• Should I file a wrongful death suit against the person responsible for my loved one's death?  Should I file a case in court?
  
• What is a "survival action" in the context of a wrongful death claim?
• What type of damages (types of compensation) are recoverable in a wrongful death lawsuit?

Case Results for Wrongful Death:

• $4,000,000 Settlement in Wrongful Death Case

Awarded: $4,000,000

• $1,085,000 Wrongful Death Settlement

Awarded: $1,085,000

• $1,000,000 Settlement in Wrongful Death at Nursing Home

Awarded: $1,000,000 Settlement Nursing Home Death

• $585,000 Settlement for death of 72 year-old man

Awarded: $585,000

Videos about Wrongful Death:

• Seattle Children's Hospital Admits Medical Mistake
• $4 Million Settlement in Wrongful Death Case - Seattle Attorney Chris Davis on KOMO4
• Accidental Death of Natasha Richardson - CNN Interview of Seattle Attorney Chris Davis
• Accidental Death of a Child l Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyer
• Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyer
• What is a wrongful death case worth?
• Wrongful Death Cases In Washington State

Web Resources for Wrongful Death:

• Seattle Wrongful Death Attorney

  Description: Using Facebook to find a Seattle Wrongful Death Attorney?  Visit the Seattle Wrongful Death Attorney fan page.

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FREE Personal Injury Legal Consultation

Contact us now for a FREE legal consultation regarding your case.  We have offices in Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Renton to serve accident victims all over Washington State. Yes, we can arrange to have someone come to you if you are unable to visit one of our our offices.
  

Free Consultation