Have you recently suffered the death of a spouse, child, or parent in a fatal accident in Santa Ana, California? A Santa Ana wrongful death lawyer at Robles Babaee, Personal Injury Lawyers can help you seek compensation for medical bills, loss of financial support, pain, trauma, and more. Call us at (714) 263-3700.
Our lawyers have more than six years of experience serving Santa Ana and helping grieving families like you recover fair compensation for their losses. We’ve used our legal skills to recover millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
Recovering compensation after the loss of a loved one can be the key to protecting your future. Contact our law offices in Santa Ana, CA, to schedule your free consultation today.
How Can Robles Babaee, Personal Injury Lawyers Help Your Family With a Santa Ana Wrongful Death Claim?
While money will never take away your pain, it can help with the financial burdens your family may now be faced with. It can also give you a sense of justice.
However, you’re going to face opposition. Insurance companies will go to great lengths to avoid paying the full amount victims deserve. An experienced Santa Ana personal injury lawyer can make a huge difference in how your case unfolds.
At Robles Babaee, Personal Injury Lawyers, our experienced litigators have a proven track record of successfully helping families like yours recover fair compensation.
We will:
- Handle any legal issues your family encounters
- Provide honest answers to all of your questions
- Make sure you fully understand your legal rights and options
- Conduct a thorough investigation and collect evidence to build your case
- Enlist the help of experts to prove various aspects of your case
- Anticipate “blame the victim” insurance strategies and defend against them
- Negotiate fiercely for a full settlement award
Losing a loved one is incredibly difficult. Let our Santa Ana personal injury lawyers handle the insurance battle. Contact us today for the legal advice you deserve.
How Common Are Fatal Accidents in California?
In California alone, 266 people lost their lives in fatal motorcycle wrecks between 2021 and 2022. A total of 793 fatal car accidents were reported as well. Another 462 people died in work-related accidents.
What Is Wrongful Death?
A wrongful death is a death caused by the neglect or wrongful act of another person. When someone is killed because of another person’s acts, their right to take legal action doesn’t simply disappear. It transfers to their surviving family members.
Wrongful death cases give survivors the right to sue the at-fault party for damages because the victim can’t file a personal injury lawsuit on their own behalf.
Wrongful death lawsuits are decided in civil court. Most of the time, they’re based on accidents. The goal is to compensate the survivors, rather than punish the responsible party.
Of course, some wrongful death claims are based on intentional criminal actions. You may have a valid wrongful death case even if the defendant is also facing criminal charges in criminal court.
California’s Laws on Wrongful Death Claims: An Overview
Two types of legal actions are permitted under California law: wrongful death lawsuits and survival actions.
The victim’s estate is entitled to file a survival action if the victim was not killed instantly. In the survival action, the estate seeks the compensation that the victim would have received had they survived.
Wrongful death lawsuits are designed to compensate the victim’s surviving loved ones.
Under California’s wrongful death law, only certain surviving family members have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit, including:
- A surviving spouse
- Children and stepchildren
- Grandchildren
- Parents of the victim
- Domestic partners
- The victim’s dependents
- The person who would be entitled to the decedent’s property under California intestate succession laws
“Dependents” for purposes of the statute are those who depended upon the deceased person for financial support.
What Is My Santa Ana Wrongful Death Case Worth?
The value of your case is based on the unique losses your family has suffered. Understanding the details is critical to assessing the value of any personal injury claim.
Some of the most important factors include:
- The nature of the at-fault party’s actions
- The circumstances of the accident
- Your loved one’s age and life expectancy prior to the accident
- How your loved one contributed to your family prior to death
- The age and identities of surviving dependents and children
- Your loved one’s prior earnings and future earning potential
- How the loss has impacted your family’s emotional wellbeing
- Your financial costs, including medical treatment costs, property damage, and more
Many of your losses won’t have a clear financial value. After all, there is no price tag on your grief. Our lawyers often bring in experts who can testify about your loved one’s projected future earnings and the valuable ways that they contributed to your family.
What Types of Damages Are Available in a Santa Ana Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Both economic damages and non-economic damages are available under California’s wrongful death laws.
Examples of the types of compensation that may be available include:
- The victim’s medical expenses
- The value of household services provided by the victim prior to death
- Loss of the victim’s financial support
- Lost employment benefits, such as retirement benefits and health insurance
- Funeral costs and burial expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of parental support and guidance
- Loss of the victim’s company and affection
- Loss of consortium
Putting a dollar value on these types of losses can be incredibly difficult. It’s important to have a skilled lawyer with access to experts who can testify about your losses. At Robles Babaee, Personal Injury Lawyers, we routinely handle complicated cases. Give us a call today to learn more about this practice area and how our team can help your family through this difficult time.
Can California’s Comparative Negligence Law Impact My Family’s Right to Compensation?
Shared fault is a common issue in personal injury cases. Under California’s pure comparative negligence law, liability for an accident is divided between all parties who share some fault.
If your loved one shared some blame, your family won’t lose your right to compensation entirely. However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to the victim.
Insurance companies will fight hard to assign blame to your loved one. They aren’t here to defend themselves. That’s why it’s so important to have an experienced lawyer in your corner. We know the games insurance companies pla, and we’re well-prepared to help you fight back.
What Are Some of the Leading Causes of Fatal Accidents in Santa Ana, California?
Unfortunately, there’s a nearly endless list of things that can cause a fatal accident.
At Robles Babaee, Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent grieving families in all types of wrongful death claims, including those involving:
- Car accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Premises liability
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber or Lyft accidents
- Boating accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Dog bites
- Defective products
- Negligent supervision
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Negligent security
- Assaults
Our Santa Ana wrongful death lawyers will meticulously investigate the circumstances of your loved one’s death. That way, you can rest assured that every party who shares blame will be held accountable.
What Is Negligence and Why Is It Important to My Santa Ana Wrongful Death Claim?
To win your wrongful death case, you must prove that someone else was responsible for your loved one’s death. That typically means proving negligence.
To prove negligence, you must prove four elements:
- Duty: the defendant owed your loved one a duty of care
- Breach: they breached that duty
- Causation: the breach of duty directly led to your loved one’s death
- Damages: your family suffered losses
If your case is based on criminal actions, such as a fatal assault, our lawyers will carefully monitor the investigation and criminal defense. We’ll also conduct our own investigation. It’s important to remember that you can win a wrongful death case even if the responsible party is never charged or convicted of a crime.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After Losing a Loved One in an Accident in California?
Under California law, a two-year statute of limitations applies in most wrongful death cases. The two-year statute of limitations starts to run on the date of your loved one’s death. That may or may not be the same date as the accident that caused their death.
Two years might seem like a long time, but it’ll go by fast. There are also exceptions to the statute of limitations for some cases. Protect your rights today by calling our experienced lawyers in Santa Ana for a free case review.
Contact a Trusted Santa Ana Wrongful Death Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Someone else was careless, and now you’re left to pick up the pieces. While nothing can bring your loved one back to life, a Santa Ana wrongful death lawyer can help you fight to hold the responsible parties liable for your damages. Contact Robles Babaee, Personal Injury Lawyers today to learn more about your legal options.
Our personal injury law firm in Santa Ana also provides:
- Brain injury accident attorneys in Santa Ana, CA
- Car accident attorneys in Santa Ana, CA
- Dog bite accident lawyers in Santa Ana, CA
- Medical malpractice attorney in Santa Ana, CA
- Motorcycle accident lawyer in Santa Ana, CA
- Premises liability lawyers in Santa Ana, CA
- Product liability lawyer in Santa Ana, CA
- Santa Ana bicycle accident lawyers
- Santa Ana catastrophic injury lawyers
- Santa Ana pedestrian accident lawyers
- Sexual assault attorneys in Santa Ana, CA
- Slip and fall accident lawyers in Santa Ana, CA
- Truck accident attorneys in Santa Ana, CA
- Uber accident attorneys in Santa Ana