Negligence occurs far too often, leaving individuals to pick up the pieces of their lives while suffering from serious and sometimes catastrophic injuries. In other situations, the injuries sustained can be fatal, resulting in what is called a wrongful death case in the legal world.

For the family of the deceased, it is imperative to understand the process, the general law applicable to these types of cases, and what the family can do to move forward emotionally and financially.

There are several complex aspects in wrongful death cases and you should recognize what comes next. Before filing a lawsuit, here are some tips you could use to cope with what happened and move forward in the most positive manner possible.

Allow Time to Grieve

Any death requires time for the family to grieve. For situations in which negligence is involved, the situation can be more shocking; and more difficult to overcome.

Negligence is preventable. When a death is caused by negligence, this means it was a needless tragedy caused by the carelessness of an individual or company and this can compound the difficulty of coping with the loss.

Because you are grieving, you should be sure to hire a legal representative to help you move forward in these matters and allow for space to grieve and receive support through family and friends. The legal issues that follow can be complex—having a professional can get you through this while you focus on what matters most.

Weighing Your Options

We know that thinking about any kind of legal battle during such a difficult time is not very high on your priority list, but it is something that should be considered. You must think about the potential losses you have experienced and how you can proceed moving forward.

A wrongful death doesn’t just have a tremendous emotional impact on the family. It has the potential to have a financial hardship for which no family can ever truly prepare. For instance, what if the person lost was the primary wage earner for a family? How does the family move forward with bills and other expenses? These things must be considered, even if the legal aspects of the death seem daunting. That is why you need an experienced wrongful death attorney so that you can off-load these legal issues.

Besides freeing yourself to focus on your family and other affairs in the wake of a loss, it is important to retain an experienced attorney to start investigating the wrongful death claim as quickly as possible. Evidence from accident scenes, witnesses, vehicles, and other sources are always better closer to the time of the incident. In some cases, certain evidence changes or disappears over time, making proving the case more difficult or even impossible. It is critical for your attorney to gather this evidence as close in time to the incident as possible.

Our Walnut Creek Wrongful Death Lawyers are Here for You

Your rights matter and you should be sure to have someone on your side who knows how to protect those rights against the negligent parties. At Casper Meadows Schwartz & Cook, we have expertise in the various laws and statutes pertaining to wrongful death in California. We bring this knowledge and experience to your corner to help our clients obtain all available compensation against the responsible parties

We investigate every possible angle to prove that negligence occurred and resulted in the death of your loved one. We work hard on your behalf because you and your family deserve closure and fair compensation for your loss. You also deserve justice – and answers - for the actions that have caused you such grief and to hold the negligent parties legally accountable.

When you have a wrongful death case with which you need help, lean on our firm to help lift your family up. We’re ready to help you at all times.

We offer free consultations to help you understand what rights and options you have. To speak with a lawyer about your potential case, call our firm at (925) 275-5592 today.