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Wrongful Death Attorney Ellensburg

  1. What Constitutes Wrongful Death in Washington State?
  2. Who Can Bring a Wrongful Death Claim in Ellensburg, WA?
  3. Our Ellensburg Lawyers Pursue These Wrongful Death Damages
  4. Our Ellensburg Attorneys Can Build Your Case and Protect Your Rights
  5. How Long Do You Have to Sue for Wrongful Death?
  6. Fatal Injuries in Washington State
  7. Contact Herschensohn Law for Help With Your Wrongful Death Case Today

If you lost a loved one because of a fatal injury, their celebration of life shouldn’t be marred by expenses resulting from their death. Herschensohn Law’s wrongful death attorneys in Ellensburg can recover damages, so you and your family can focus on healing. 

Our team has decades of experience standing up for the rights of injured clients, and we have seen first-hand what grieving families must go through to get the awards they need and deserve. We want to save you from the stress and hassle of fighting for fair compensation and make seeking justice as easy as possible. 

Begin a free case review with our injury team by dialing (206) 588-4344.

What Constitutes Wrongful Death in Washington State?

According to RCW 4.20.010, you can pursue a wrongful death case in Washington State if your loved one’s fatal injury resulted from another party’s acts or omissions. Incidents that may result in a wrongful death claim or lawsuit include:

  • Car accidents
  • Truck accidents
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
  • Boating accidents
  • Railroad accidents
  • Workplace accidents
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Dog bites/animal attacks
  • Medical malpractice injuries
  • Injuries caused by dangerous or defective products or drugs

Our personal injury firm is committed to providing compassionate, personalized representation to everyone we serve. We have handled the above types of cases from beginning to end. If your loved one passed away because of someone else’s errors, it would be our honor to fight for your family.  

Who Can Bring a Wrongful Death Claim in Ellensburg, WA?

In most cases, Washington law does not allow a deceased’s family members to file a wrongful death case. Instead, the deceased’s personal representative (executor) must take action. If your loved one does not have a will or the representative cannot serve, the court can appoint someone. 

Any awards won through a wrongful death action benefit the deceased’s beneficiaries. According to RCW 4.20.020, compensation may go to the deceased’s:

  • Spouse or state-registered domestic partner
  • Children (including stepchildren)
  • Parents or siblings (if there is no surviving spouse, domestic partner, or children)

If you’re unsure whether you qualify to initiate a wrongful death case, we encourage you to explore your options in a free case review with our team. 

There Are Specific Rules When the Case Involves the Death of a Child

 

RCW 4.24.010 outlines some specific rules in cases involving the death of a child. Under the statute, parents do not need to go through a personal representative and can file suit directly if:

  • The child was a minor younger than 18 years of age, and the parent regularly contributed to their financial support.
  • The child was an adult 18 years of age or older, and the parent had “significant involvement” in their life at or near their time of death, including giving or receiving financial, emotional, or psychological support. 
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Our Ellensburg Lawyers Pursue These Wrongful Death Damages

We know that no amount of money can bring back your loved one or take away the hurt your family feels over their loss. However, seeking financial awards can provide you with a measure of justice and relieve the economic burden of the incident. 

Our wrongful death attorneys in Ellensburg can pursue compensation for:

  • Medical bills related to your loved one’s fatal injury, including emergency transportation and services, surgeries, medications, and hospitalizations 
  • Conscious physical pain and mental and emotional suffering experienced by your loved one from their time of injury until their passing 
  • Property damage costs, including vehicle repair or replacement costs
  • Funeral and burial expenses, including caskets, urns, burial plots, and memorial services
  • Loss of the deceased’s financial support 
  • Loss of household services, including childcare, lawn care, household maintenance, cleaning, and cooking
  • Loss of the deceased’s love, companionship, care, affection, guidance, and training

We can’t put a dollar value on your loved one’s life and contributions. Yet, we’ll do our best to arrive at a fair figure. 

Our Lawyers Will Fight for Economic Justice for You and Your Family

At Herschensohn Law, our goal is to provide you with attentive, effective, and aggressive legal services. Unlike some firms that are more concerned with settling cases quickly, we take the time to get to know you, understand your concerns, and explain your options and rights. 

Instead of seeking a hasty resolution, we prioritize getting every cent you deserve. If necessary, we are prepared to take the at-fault party to civil court and advocate for you at trial. Our client-centered approach has yielded multi-million dollar case results, including a $500,000 wrongful death settlement for a premises liability accident. 

Additionally, with our contingency-fee payment structure, we start building your case without charging anything out of pocket. Our fees come from your successful settlement or verdict, and if we do not win, you owe us nothing. 

Our Ellensburg Attorneys Can Build Your Case and Protect Your Rights

Your focus should be on remembering your loved one and helping your family through their grief, not on paperwork, evidence, or insurance negotiations. Let us handle your case so you can take the time you need to heal and get your life back on track. 

Our Attorneys Can Identify the Liable Parties

Our wrongful death lawyers in Ellensburg can investigate the accident that caused your loved one’s fatal injury and determine who is at fault. Depending on the type of accident involved, liable parties may include:

  • A motor vehicle driver
  • A commercial driver or their employer
  • A residential or commercial property owner or manager
  • A health care provider or medical facility
  • A negligent manufacturer
  • A government entity

We Can Prove Negligence 

Once we pinpoint liability, our personal injury team can begin building a case based on the following four elements of negligence:

  • Duty of care. Our lawyers will show that the at-fault party was legally obligated to avoid causing injuries to others. For example, all drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles safely and follow traffic laws.
  • Breach of duty. We will demonstrate that the liable party acted in a manner that breached their duty of care. Continuing the above example, drivers breach their duty when they engage in reckless or dangerous behaviors like driving drunk, speeding, or disobeying traffic lights and signs.
  • Causation. We will prove the at-fault party’s breach of duty was a direct cause of your loved one’s fatal injury. 
  • Damages. Finally, our team demonstrates that your loved one’s wrongful death led to financial losses. 

The exact evidence we will use to construct your case will again depend on the type of accident your loved one suffered. Examples of evidence our attorneys can collect include:

  • Police reports or official accident reports
  • Medical records
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Testimony from doctors, accident reconstruction specialists, and other relevant subject-matter experts
  • Cell phone, surveillance, or dashcam footage
  • Photographs of the accident scene
  • Bills, receipts, and other proof of expenses

We Can Be Your Voice 

We work for our clients, not the insurance companies. Therefore, everything we do will be in your best interests with the objective of getting the most advantageous settlement possible. 

We will handle all communications with the insurance companies and other involved parties. This saves you time and protects you from accidentally doing or saying something that could hurt your claim. 

We will aggressively negotiate on your behalf, standing up to bad-faith tactics or hardball strategies. If we cannot secure full and fair compensation with a settlement, we will not hesitate to fight for you in court. 

How Long Do You Have to Sue for Wrongful Death?

According to RCW § 4.16.080, you generally have three years from your loved one’s passing to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Washington. If you do not pursue your case before the statute of limitations expires, the court will likely dismiss your case, even if you have solid proof of negligence or wrongdoing by an at-fault party. 

This deadline will also affect your insurance claim because, once the statute of limitations expires, the liable insurer has no obligation to settle. Our Washington wrongful death lawyers can help you get started today. 

Fatal Injuries in Washington State

Per the most recent data from the Washington State Department of Health, there were more than 7,600 deaths statewide due to unintentional injury from 2013 to 2017. Some of the leading causes of injury death across all age groups include:

  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Falls 
  • Poisoning
  • Drowning
  • Fire/burn injuries

If your loved one suffered a fatal injury in any type of accident caused by another party’s mistakes or wrongful actions, we can help. You do not have to fight for justice alone. 

“Zach will always take time and give you quality advice that you can trust. Highly recommended!”

- P.R., Katy, WA

Contact Herschensohn Law for Help With Your Wrongful Death Case Today

Let Herschensohn Law help you hold those responsible for your loved one’s passing financially accountable. Our wrongful death attorneys in Ellensburg, WA, can put our team’s legal knowledge and experience behind protecting your financial stability and peace of mind.

Call us at (206) 588-4344 for a risk-free, no-cost consultation.  

Our results speak for themselves

CONTACT HERSCHENSOHN LAW

Hurt? Let our law firm handle the details

When you request your free consultation, Kent personal injury attorney Zach Herschensohn will listen to you, answer your questions, lay out your legal options, and give you down-to-earth legal advice.

When you work with our law office, there are no obligations, hidden fees, or fine print. It’s that simple.

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We’re proud to fight—and win—for injured people in Kent, Washington. View our case results to learn more.