Losing a loved one is incredibly difficult, and family members will undoubtedly be going through a difficult emotional situation. If you have lost somebody that you care about and you believe that their death was caused by the careless, negligent, or intentional actions of another party, seek legal assistance from a Santa Ana wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible. At Callahan & Blaine, our attorneys are ready to stand by your side. We will conduct a full investigation into your case in order to secure any compensation you are entitled to.
After experiencing the devastating loss of a loved one, turn to a team with trusted experience that will stand by your side throughout this entire case. Callahan & Blaine is here to help:
Wrongful death claims arise when a person dies due to the actions of another party (another individual, business, or entity). When this occurs, family members or the estate of the deceased are allowed to hire a Santa Ana personal injury attorney and file a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged negligent party to recover compensation for their losses. Wrongful death cases arise in numerous ways, many of which we will discuss below.
Survival actions are a bit different than wrongful death claims, but they are often brought at the same time. Essentially, survival actions allow family members or the estate of the deceased to recover personal injury damages that the deceased sustained. In other words, the compensation awarded here would be the amount of compensation awarded had the deceased survived and filed a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party.
At Callahan & Blaine, our Santa Ana wrongful death lawyers handle wrongful death claims that arise in a variety of ways. Our attorneys are standing by and ready to help family members who have lost a loved one due to the following:
An unfortunate reality is that surviving family members in these cases often lack the financial resources and legal knowledge to be able to properly pursue full compensation for their loss. However, an experienced Santa Ana wrongful death lawyer will be able to:
California’s wrongful death laws are very specific as to which parties can bring a wrongful death claim. State laws allow the following parties to file a wrongful death claim:
If it can be proven that there were others that were financially dependent on the deceased person, they may also be able to bring a wrongful death claim. This could include a person’s “putative” spouse, stepchildren, or parents.
Every state is responsible for setting time limits for how long family members or the estate of the deceased has to file a wrongful death claim. In California, the wrongful death statute of limitations is two years from the date of the deceased’s death.
When looking at survival actions (mentioned above), the estate of the deceased will have a two-year time limit to file a lawsuit from the later of the following:
Every wrongful death claim is different, and the total amount of compensation awarded will vary depending on the particular facts regarding each situation. In general, the Santa Ana wrongful death lawyers at Callahan & Blaine will work to recover the following types of economic and non-economic damages on behalf of their clients:
In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded if the defendant in the case acted grossly negligent or intentionally in causing the death of the deceased.
If you have lost a loved one due to the actions of another individual, business, or entity, speak to an attorney about your case as soon as possible. At Callahan & Blaine, our compassionate and experienced team pledges to conduct a full investigation into your case. We have the resources necessary to get to the bottom of what happened so we can secure the closure and compensation you and your family need. Let our Santa Ana wrongful death lawyers get to work on your case today. You can contact us online to schedule a free consultation or by calling our Santa Ana office at (714) 241-4444.