Death Claims

Death of a Child or Spouse—what is the Cost?

If your loved one—your child, your spouse, your parent—has died, your life will never be the same, and there is no way to adequately describe your loss. However, as personal injury lawyers, it is our job to ask the courts to do exactly that. If a member of your family has suffered a fatal injury, we offer our sympathy. If you would like to speak with a member of our Los Angeles personal injury firm, Michels & Watkins, about your death claim we assure you the matter will be handled with sensitivity. Please contact our LA office to arrange a free consultation.

After reviewing the circumstances surrounding your situation our attorneys will explain your options. If you are entitled to a death benefit from an insurance policy or a wrongful death claim due the negligence of a third party, it will be our goal to see that you recover the maximum compensation possible, compensation that will help you rebuild your life. Whether you hire our firm or another, it is important to begin this process as soon a possible. That way your lawyer will be able to assemble the strongest possible case and file claims within statutory limits (deadlines for filing).

In California, the estate of the deceased and survivors can bring wrongful death claims for losses of economic support (the loss of future wages that would have been earned by the deceased during a normal life span, medical expenses, and funeral and estate administration expenses) and emotional support (loss of consortium).

It is important you, as representative of an estate or as a survivor, are represented by a lawyer with experience in similar cases. The attorney will see that all claims are identified and properly calculated. It is equally important that the law firm you hire is prepared to invest the necessary resources. If there was a fatal accident the firm may have to hire accident reconstruction and scientific experts. Expert economic consultants will be necessary to support a claim for potential wage loss.

Verdicts and Settlements

In some cases a fatal injury results from negligence so extreme that the court will award damages in the millions. Our attorneys won what was at the time the largest child death verdict in the state of California—$4.25 million— for the family of a student who died as a result of a school swimming pool drowning accident.

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How is a death claim calculated? Contact our LA office and arrange a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer. We will see that your family receives full compensation. Our Los Angeles attorneys serve clients throughout California and surrounding states.