Losing a loved one can be incredibly challenging for your family, leaving you with grief and unexpected financial burdens. It’s even worse when your loved one dies an untimely death because of someone else’s carelessness or recklessness.
Beyond the physical loss of your loved one, you and your family may suffer financially and emotionally. However, if you can prove that someone else’s actions led to your loved one’s death, you may be eligible for significant financial compensation.
At Zanes Law, we help families pursue the money they deserve in wrongful death cases. You can contact us today to work with a Phoenix wrongful death attorney. Call us or complete our online contact form to get started.
When Can You File a Wrongful Death Claim in Phoenix, AZ?
Arizona uses specific laws to define wrongful death incidents. For example, under Arizona Rev. Stat. § 12-611 (2021), your family may have a chance to file a claim if you lost a loved one due to an act of negligence or default by another party.
Many families file wrongful death claims after car accidents, for example. If you want to discuss your family’s eligibility for a claim, you can reach out to a Phoenix wrongful death lawyer. We can discuss all aspects of your case with a free consultation.
If we believe you have a wrongful death case, we can handle your legal needs and advise you about your next steps in Phoenix.
For a free legal consultation with a wrongful death lawyer serving Phoenix, call 866-499-8989
Who Can Sue for Wrongful Death in Phoenix?
The legal codes in Arizona allow specific family members to file a wrongful death claim after a deadly accident. The laws in our state will enable you to seek compensation for your losses if you lose your:
- Spouse
- Parent
- Child
What if you lost a family member with no surviving spouse, parent, or child? In that situation, a legal representative for your family member’s estate can file a wrongful death claim. In many cases, the court appoints this legal representative.
A Phoenix wrongful death attorney can review your family’s needs and help you determine who has a legal chance to file this kind of claim.
Phoenix Wrongful Death Lawyer Near Me 866-499-8989
What Compensation Can You Recover in a Phoenix Wrongful Death Case?
A wrongful death lawsuit’s purpose is to recover what you and your family lost when your family member died. We understand the significant consequences you may suffer after your loved one’s death.
While money cannot bring the person back, you can recover damages for your loved one’s death. You and your family may be eligible to recover the following damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of income the deceased person
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of emotional support
- Loss of consortium for the deceased person’s spouse
Our law firm stands ready to recover fair compensation for you and your family. We’ll ensure that you recover all the damages your case qualifies for, so get started by contacting a wrongful death attorney in Phoenix for assistance.
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How Much Compensation do You Receive for a Wrongful Death Claim?
The compensation available for your family after a wrongful death accident in Phoenix can vary. Generally, you receive funds based on your specific losses. A Phoenix wrongful death attorney can assess these losses on your behalf.
We treat each claim we take on with personal care and attention instead of trying to provide a one-size-fits-all solution for our clients. Allow us to review your situation with compassionate care and understanding.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Can You Seek Additional Damages After a Wrongful Death Accident?
Wrongful death claims allow your family to seek funds to cover your emotional anguish, pain, suffering, and other losses. However, these claims do not allow you to seek damages to cover funeral costs or the medical expenses faced by your loved one after an accident.
In order to see compensation for these losses, you can file a survival action in Arizona. Generally, your loved one’s estate handles survival actions in our state. However, your wrongful death lawyer in Phoenix can provide more information about these claims.
What Services do You Get from a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
Your Phoenix wrongful death attorney can help with all aspects of your legal case. Our team stands ready to provide support and understanding in this difficult time. When you reach out to us, we provide the following:
A Free Consultation
We understand that seeing an attorney for a wrongful death case will be a difficult conversation for you because it involves discussing the trauma of losing your loved one. Your wrongful death lawyer will handle the consultation with compassion and sensitivity while attempting to learn more about your case.
We will need to learn the facts, so we can tell you where to begin in the process of trying to obtain financial compensation. We will ask you specific questions to understand your case. We often meet with clients multiple times to review legal claims.
We can help you get started, although you should expect your attorney to have only some of the answers within an hour of talking to you. Thus, the initial consultation is a starting point for both of us.
An Investigation of the Causes of the Accident
Our team understands the importance of establishing negligence and liability in wrongful death claims in Phoenix. We use our experience and resources to dig into the causes of the accident, often by:
- Questioning witnesses who saw the accident
- Acquiring a copy of any accident reports
- Getting a copy of the police report
- Reviewing the scene of the accident
- Working with wrongful death experts
We adjust the scope of our investigation based on your family’s unique needs.
A Focus on Your Losses
We look into all the losses experienced by your family, tracking them on your behalf. This information allows us to assess any deals or offers made by insurance companies to see if they address all the losses you sustained.
Help with Insurance Agents
We deal with insurance agents on your behalf after a wrongful death accident, allowing you to focus on caring for your family’s emotional needs. We also handle other lawyers, dealing with all legal challenges on your behalf.
Why Choose Us for Your Wrongful Death Claim?
Selecting the right firm to handle your wrongful death claim in Phoenix is essential. Our Zanes Law team believes in providing personalized care and support. We walk you through all aspects of your claim and communicate throughout the legal process.You can reach out to us anytime for help with your case. We strive to always be there for our clients, standing out due to our:
Experienced Legal Advice
Our team has twenty years of experience handling legal claims for clients in your situation. We use the knowledge we’ve gained over the years to create personalized strategies to handle wrongful death claims in Phoenix.
History of Success
Our firm has a reputation for successfully helping clients, securing over $500 million for individuals around Arizona. We also have specific experience handling wrongful death claims, assisting families in securing:
- $1,065,000 after a deadly motorcycle accident
- $375,000 after a fatal bicycle accident
Find out more about possible compensation for your claim by contacting us.
Guiding Principles
Our guiding principles focus on providing personal and caring assistance to each client we take on. In addition, we set ourselves apart from other law firms by encouraging all team members to continue learning and growing constantly.
We want to constantly strive to be better legal professionals, focusing on changing our clients’ lives and bringing them the compensation they need to move forward in their lives. So start working with a Phoenix wrongful death attorney now to get help on your side.
How do Lawyers Prove Negligence in a Wrongful Death Case?
Our team understands that demonstrating negligence helps clients resolve wrongful death claims. We need to show that someone else caused your loved one’s accident and the loss of their life, making them legally responsible for your family’s losses.
The legal term for this is negligence. It is another way of saying that someone else’s actions took your family member from you. There is a four-part test to prove negligence in any wrongful death case, and each element of negligence must be present:
- Duty of care: The defendant owed your loved one the duty to act reasonably under the circumstances
- Breach of duty: The defendant breached that duty by acting unreasonably
- Injury: Your loved one suffered an injury
- Causation: Your loved one would not have suffered injuries had it not been for the actions of the defendant
Proving a wrongful death case requires that your Phoenix wrongful death lawyer present evidence to support each of the above four elements. The most significant issues in any wrongful death case will be the second and fourth parts of the test.
Often, the entire case will come down to proving what the defendant did or did not do. This aspect of your case requires a wrongful death attorney in Phoenix who can investigate the cause of the death and present the facts to an insurance company or jury.
Do You Have to File a Lawsuit for a Wrongful Death Claim?
Many families in Phoenix assume they have to file a lawsuit after losing a loved one. However, filing a lawsuit may only sometimes represent your best choice. The method to resolve your claim depends on the situation and the strategy that your lawyer advises you to follow.
In some situations, you should file a lawsuit right after your loved one has died and use that as leverage in settlement negotiations.
Other times, you should file an insurance claim first and see if you can reach a settlement agreement. You always have the option to file a lawsuit if the insurance company does not pay you what you legally deserve.
Once You File a Lawsuit, Can You Still Settle Your Claim?
Even if you file a lawsuit, you can continue to discuss a potential settlement agreement. In fact, most wrongful death lawsuits will eventually settle and not go to trial. In many cases, the defendant does not want their case in the hands of a jury when someone has died.
Juries can sympathize with the grieving family and hit the defendant with a large verdict. In the end, your Phoenix wrongful death attorney will advise you on the right time to settle and whether they believe you are receiving a fair settlement offer.
How Long do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Suit in Phoenix?
Arizona offers limited time to file a wrongful death claim due to the statute of limitations. You have two years from the time that you learned that someone else’s negligent conduct caused your family member’s death. Arizona codified this time limit under A.R.S. § 12-542.
The statute of limitations is a stringent limit. If you file your claim after the statute of limitations expires, you will lose the right to receive financial compensation. Therefore, you never want to wait until the last minute, or any moment longer than necessary, to begin the legal process.
Many families begin working on their cases as soon as they can. An experienced wrongful death lawyer in Phoenix will handle the details while the family deals with their grief. So turn to us for the compassion and support you need right now.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Wrongful Death?
Many different kinds of accidents can lead to the loss of a loved one. Our team steps in to help with these incidents, including:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Premises liability cases
- Boating accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Product liability cases
- Workplace accidents
While this is a broad group of accidents, they share something in common: someone else can be responsible for the death of your loved one. When that happens, justice demands that they be accountable for the losses they cause.
A wrongful death lawyer in Phoenix, AZ, can also help you with medical malpractice accidents. You can discuss the specifics of your case when you contact us for assistance.
What do Wrongful Death Attorneys in Phoenix Charge?
Generally, Phoenix wrongful death attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning your family doesn’t have to worry about paying legal fees immediately upon hiring a lawyer. Instead, the firm only receives payment for legal fees after resolving your claim with a settlement or verdict.
After resolving your case, the law firm receives a percentage of your final monetary settlement. This payment generally comes directly from the settlement, allowing you to avoid complicated fees or stress.
When you contact us for a risk-free consultation, we can discuss our fees and pricing. Learn more with a Phoenix wrongful death lawyer dedicated to helping your family.
What Happens if the Wrongful Death Was a Result of Criminal Action?
You have a legal right to recover compensation if someone else was to blame for losing your loved one, regardless of how the accident occurred. Therefore, you can file a lawsuit if an assault or a drunk driving accident caused the death.
The civil lawsuit process is entirely different from the criminal process. Therefore, you still need to file a case, even if the defendant faced charges and received a conviction for a crime. You can discuss the differences more with a Phoenix wrongful death attorney.
You do not need to wait for a conviction to file a civil lawsuit. However, the criminal process may move faster than the civil one, and that case can resolve before your lawsuit. If the case ends in a conviction, you can use evidence of the conviction to help your civil lawsuit.
Can I Get Punitive Damages in a Wrongful Death Case?
Punitive damages do not frequently apply in personal injury cases. However, more egregious cases may cause juries to want to punish the defendant.
Whether a jury awards this type of damage depends on the facts. We cannot say that a wrongful death makes it more likely that the jury will hit the defendant with punitive damages, but the fact that someone died may anger the jury and cause them to want to punish someone.
Your wrongful death attorney will inform the court at the beginning of the case that they seek punitive damages on your behalf.
Contact Us for Assistance Handling Wrongful Death Claims
Are you looking for legal assistance following the loss of a loved one? Our team at Zanes Law can stand up for you, representing you in and out of court and providing you with the support you need to move forward.
You can work with a Phoenix wrongful death attorney from our team today. Call us or fill out the contact form on our website to get started with your free case consultation.
Call or text 866-499-8989 or complete a
Free Case Evaluation form
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