Benicia Wrongful Death Lawyer

Our firm focuses solely on helping people with cases that involve either wrongful death or critical injuries. Specializing our practice this way means that we are experienced experts in the field. However, even though we focus on major cases, we cover a variety of accident types. We handle wrongful death cases, including:

• Car accidents
• Boating accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Dangerous products
• Workplace accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Trucking accidents
• Uber and Lyft accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Dog Bites
• Wildfires
• Construction accidents
• Farm accidents

Many people are unsure of what a wrongful death accident actually is. Essentially, wrongful death accidents are fatal incidents that are caused by the negligent actions or inactions of an at-fault party and are outlined in the California Civil Code of Procedure 377.60.

At-fault parties in accidents can include a wide variety of people and organizations. They can typically be held financially liable for damages that dependents and/or family members of decedents have suffered. Many people are aware of negligent parties like intoxicated or distracted drivers whose irresponsible driving causes a deadly accident. However, entities such as product manufacturers, restaurants, hospitals, and even government bodies can be considered negligent parties to deadly accidents.

Losing a loved one can have far-reaching effects on your life. For this reason, the recoverable damages available in a wrongful death case vary widely. While every case is different, there are two main types of compensation that can be claimed; economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are things that have an easily definable price. Common economic damages in a wrongful death case include medical expenses incurred before the decedent passed, lost wages or expected income, lost household services, damaged property, and more. Non-economic damages are more difficult to put a value on. Often, these are referred to as “pain and suffering” damages and include things like loss of companionship, emotional trauma, and loss of parental guidance.

These losses can leave families wondering how they will be able to keep living their lives. However, with the help of an experienced, skilled Benicia wrongful death lawyer, it’s often possible to hold at-fault parties responsible and claim full compensation for all of the damages described above.

People whose lives have been affected by deadly accidents deserve help. However, many people worry that they will not be able to afford a good lawyer. I believe that everybody should have access to quality legal assistance. To make sure that my clients can afford my services, I take my cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that my clients do not pay anything up-front and are not responsible for lawyer’s fees unless I can successfully resolve their case. Running my practice this way means that I can help anybody who needs my services.

Many people that I work with ask me whether or not their case is likely to go to trial. While the answer is different for everyone, over 90 percent of cases do not require a trial. Before filing a civil lawsuit, most attorneys will file a private claim against the negligent party’s insurance company. Most often, the case will be settled during negotiations between your lawyer and the insurer.

If it isn’t possible to reach an agreement regarding settlement payment, your attorney may decide to pursue a court case. If your case is tried, it will be critical to have help from a Benicia wrongful death attorney. Your lawyer will not only file the suit and argue for your right to compensation in court, but will also construct your case, draft necessary pleadings, collect admissions and documents, take legal depositions, and more.

Multiple parties may be able to obtain compensation for wrongful death damages. While there may be more than one person receiving payments for a wrongful death case, in California, the payments are released as a single sum and divided among recipients privately. To learn more about how you can recover after deadly accidents, watch this short video from my firm:

Wrongful death cases are essential, and having a lawyer you know that you can trust with your case is critical. Thankfully, it’s easy to find a quality Benicia wrongful death lawyer if you know how to look.

When looking for a lawyer, you should make sure to check their ratings on popular review sites, especially Avvo, which is a website designed specifically for rating attorneys. You should also research your attorney’s prior case settlements and trial verdicts. Most lawyers will list these on their website and should be happy to tell you about their case history if you ask them. Finally, you should make sure that your attorney has the resources necessary to take on a major wrongful death case. To find out whether or not a lawyer is truly willing to do everything possible for your case, simply ask them if they would be comfortable taking your case to trial if necessary.

I’m Ed Smith, a Benicia wrongful death lawyer. To receive free, friendly wrongful death case advice, reach out to me as soon as you can by calling either (800) 404-5400 or (707) 564-1900.

My law firm has been representing families from Benicia since 1982, and we’ve been able to help many people obtain the settlements and verdicts they need to recover the compensation they deserve.

My valued clients have written personal reviews of my practice at the below sites:

• Yelp
• Google
• Avvo

I am a proud CA member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This is a forum that exclusively includes trial attorneys who’ve helped their clients achieve a settlement or verdict that was worth one million dollars or more. I also belong to a group for distinguished lawyers called Top One Percent.

Photo by Mayron Oliveira on Unsplash

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