Some of the services personal injury attorneys can provide for their clients are well known. This is the type of lawyer that you want on your side as you deal with the aftermath of a car accident. Or perhaps a vicious dog attack. Or even an accident that happens at work.
But another area in which this type of attorney can provide assistance is in what is known as a wrongful death. Death is inevitable for all of us. But what are known as wrongful deaths are usually preventable tragedies. However, an experienced wrongful death attorney in Santa Monica, California may be able to help these survivors recoup funeral costs, living expenses, future earnings, and more.
Although the ability to sue another party for a wrongful death is relatively new, all fifty states now have some type of a wrongful death law on their books. The general legal definition of wrongful death is a situation when a fatality is caused by a party with a legal responsibility.
For example, if a driver causes a car accident resulting in a fatality, and investigation reveals that the driver was speeding while arguing with his girl friend on his cell phone, than that driver well could be charged with wrongful death. Parties not directly responsible for a fatality may also be sued for wrongful death. Examples here would include owners of establishments that serve alcohol, or a business that hired dangerous employees without doing background checks.
There are some cases in which wrongful death suits cannot be brought against a party or parties responsible for a fatality.
