San Diego Wrongful Death Lawyers

A wrongful death is one that would not have happened but for the carelessness, negligence, or malicious act of another person. The most common causes of wrongful deaths are medical error, motor vehicle accidents, falls, and workplace accidents.

Medical Malpractice Deaths

An estimated 98,000 people die every year in the United States from medical errors, including misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, surgical errors, anesthesia errors, medication errors, hospital acquired infections, and substandard care. Almost three times as many people die from preventable medical error in the US as die in car accidents.

You have a right to expect competent medical care when you consult a doctor or other professional licensed to deliver health services. Medical professionals have a duty to deliver a reasonable standard of care, consistent with their training. When a patient dies because of a preventable medical error, close surviving family members may have a cause of action for wrongful death by medical malpractice.

Motor Vehicle Crashes

In 2011 about 32,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents nationwide. Many of these fatalities were the result of another driver’s carelessness or poor driving, including:

• Speeding
• Drunk Driving
• Driving under the influence of prescription or illegal drugs
• Driving while overtired
• Distracted driving, including cell phone use and text messaging while driving
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Running red lights and stop signs
• Driving aggressively

When a driver causes a traffic death due to negligent driving behavior, the victim’s survivors and the estate may be able to recover compensation for damages stemming from the death.

Wrongful Deaths Caused by Falls

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 24,792 people across the nation died from accidental falls in 2010. Property owners have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a safe condition. When they fail to do so and someone dies as a result of a preventable fall, the owner or operator of the premises can often be held liable in a wrongful death law suit brought by close family members and the estate of the deceased.

Workplace and Construction Site Fatalities

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 4,690 work-related fatalities in 2010. These included, traffic fatalities, falls, exposure to toxic substances, and acts of violence. Around a thousand of these occurred on construction sites. Collapsing roofs, crane and other equipment accidents, scaffolding collapses, electric shock, fires, and explosions were some of the common causes of construction site fatalities.

San Diego Wrongful Death Attorneys

When someone you love dies suddenly because of another person’s negligence or wrongdoing, your grief and anger may be overwhelming. If you’re like many people, you may not feel ready to face the ordeal of bringing a legal action. At Bodell Law Group, we understand that you may be reeling from the emotional intensity of losing someone close to you. We have years of experience providing representation to families who want to make sure that the person who caused the death of their loved one is held accountable for the suffering they’ve caused. When you need the support of a skilled and compassionate legal professional, we are available to handle the many tasks involved in making a wrongful death claim, so you can turn your attention to helping your family in this difficult time and working through the grieving process.

As soon as you can, call the law offices of wrongful death attorneys Bodell Law Group in San Diego to protect your rights. California law places time restrictions on filing a wrongful death case, so don’t delay.