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Santa Ana Wrongful Death Attorneys

Helping Surviving Family Members Pursue a Wrongful Death Claim Against an at-Fault Person or Entity

In the State of California, wrongful death occurs when a person dies as a result of someone else’s recklessness, carelessness, or negligence. The decedent’s survivors – or the personal representative of the decedent’s estate – bring a wrongful death claim in a California civil court and make a claim for damages against the person or entity who caused the accident.

Dealing with the recent loss of a loved one can be difficult enough without having to deal with litigation. The experienced Santa Ana personal injury lawyers at HN Injury Lawyers could handle all of the legal aspects of any wrongful death claim you decide to file, allowing you time to grieve for your lost loved one. Please call us today at (657) 333-5726 or contact us online to learn more about how we could assist you with pursuing your wrongful death case.

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Who Is Eligible To Make a Wrongful Death Claim in California?

In the State of California, there are certain designated individuals who may be able to bring a wrongful death claim. Those individuals include the following:

  • The surviving spouse of the deceased individual
  • The deceased individual’s domestic partner
  • The surviving child or children of the deceased individual

If there is no surviving individual in this line of succession, then any person who might have a claim to the decedent’s property via intestate succession (e.g., the decedent’s parents or siblings) could make a wrongful death claim on the decedent’s behalf.

Moreover, if certain individuals were financially dependent upon the decedent during his or her lifetime, then these individuals might also be eligible to bring a claim for wrongful death. Those individuals include the following:

  • The decedent’s stepchildren
  • The decedent’s parents
  • The decedent’s “putative spouse,” as well as the putative spouse’s children

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What Are Potential Damages in a Wrongful Death Claim?

Monetary damages are the only way of compensating individuals who file a wrongful death claim on behalf of a deceased loved one. As part of a wrongful death claim, the estate could pursue monetary compensation for all of the following:

  • Burial expenses
  • Funeral costs
  • Hospital bills and other medical expenses for the decedent’s last injury or illness
  • Lost wages, including potential lost earnings which the decedent would have likely earned if he or she had survived

Surviving family members could also pursue the following damages as part of a wrongful death claim in Santa Ana:

  • The reasonable value of the deceased loved one’s household services
  • Loss of the decedent’s attention, love, moral support, affection, and guidance
  • Loss of the decedent’s expected financial support, had he or she survived

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Speak With a Santa Ana Wrongful Death Lawyer Today

The knowledgeable legal team at HN Injury Lawyers is ready to assist you with all aspects of your Orange County wrongful death claim. To schedule a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Santa Ana wrongful death attorney, please call us at (657) 333-5726 or contact us online to learn more.

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