Orange County Wrongful Death Lawyer
Orange County Wrongful Death Attorneys
If one party’s actions result in any type of harm to another party, the injured victim may have grounds to file a personal injury suit in Orange County, CA, a legal claim that aims to recover their damages. However, not all victims of personal injuries survive their injuries. If your family member recently died due to the actions of another party, it is vital that you consult an Orange County wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible if you intend to hold the at-fault party accountable.
Orange County Wrongful Death Lawyer
The death of a family member or loved one is one of the greatest tragedies we can ever be forced to experience in this life. At Easton & Easton, LLP, we understand the pain and anguish that one experiences after such a loss.
While no amount of money can ever repair the loss associated with the death of a loved one, monetary compensation can help to provide significant fiscal security in the wake of such a loss and ensure that a wife, husband, child or other family member has financial stability in the future.
Featured in Orange Coast magazine as The Face of Wrongful Death Litigation
Hearing sudden news of a family member’s death from a car accident is devastating. The emotional loss can turn the entire family upside down and the financial loss can be felt for a lifetime. Knowing that the death was caused by another driver’s negligence, misconduct or criminal act on the road is an injustice that can never be fully overcome.
Experienced Representation After Fatal Accidents in Denver, CO
The term “wrongful death” means that a death has occurred prematurely and wrongfully because of the negligent or wrongful conduct of another. When a wrongful death occurs, the family members who were dependent on the deceased are entitled to recover for the losses that they will experience as a result of losing their loved one. These recoverable losses include quantifiable economic damages, such as medical and health care expenses, loss of income and burial expenses, as well as non-economic damages, such as loss of care, society, comfort, protection, love and companionship that one naturally experiences after the passing of a loved one.
Proving these damages, however, requires the advocacy and skill of attorneys experienced in handling these types of cases in Orange County and proving these types of damages with clarity, compassion and grace. You can rely on our team to help gather the evidence needed to hold a defendant accountable. If necessary, we can consult various expert witnesses to provide their valuable professional insights into the most complex details of your claim.
Proven Case Results
We recently settled a wrongful death case for $2.75 million where the decedent was 55 years old with no wife or children, just two surviving parents in their 80s. The defendants’ insurance carrier initially expected to pay no more than $250,000 to settle the case of these 80-year-old parents who had no economic losses as a result of their son’s death. But because we demonstrated the unique bond these parents shared with their son by persuasively telling their family story, we were able to significantly increase the value of their case.
After seeing how we would present this elderly couple’s case before a jury, the insurance company knew that taking the matter to trial could result in a substantially higher verdict based on our advocacy. Consequently, we were able to settle the case for an amount far in excess of our clients’ wildest dreams without them having to go through the pain and ordeal of a lengthy trial.
3 Things You Should Know After A Wrongful Death Has Occured in Denver, CO
Preserve all evidence, records, and tangible things related to the death of your loved one.
Photograph anything that may be helpful in proving your claim.
Call Easton & Easton, LLP as soon as possible so we can advise you what to do next.
The Orange County wrongful death attorneys at Easton & Easton, LLP, have over 70 years of combined experience representing husbands who have lost wives, wives who have lost husbands, parents who have lost children, children who have lost parents, and family members who have lost other family members. From those many years of experience, we have learned not only how to effectively maximize our clients’ wrongful death claims but also how to handle these claims with compassion for our clients’ loss and respect for the memory of the deceased. We understand what you are going through and how to best protect your interests.
Most Common Causes of Wrongful Deaths in Orange County
A wrongful death occurs whenever a victim of a personal injury does not survive their injury. Some fatal accidents cause instant deaths, while others inflict severe injuries, leaving victims languishing in attempted recovery until they ultimately succumb to their injuries. Some of the most common causes of fatal personal injuries in Orange County include motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, and intentional illegal misconduct.
There are many dangerous places to drive in Orange County, and accidents can happen unexpectedly in various ways. If your loved one passed away from a fatal car crash, your family can file a claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy before filing your wrongful death suit. Similarly, if your loved one died while working, their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance may offer death benefits, and then you can file a claim against whoever caused their death.
If your loved one died because another party willingly broke the law, the at-fault party will face criminal charges in addition to their civil liability for the damages cited in your civil wrongful death claim. If the defendant intended to cause harm, it could significantly increase their penalties once convicted. Your Orange County wrongful death lawyer can explain how the illegal nature of a defendant’s actions may impact your recovery efforts in civil court.
Comparative Fault in Orange County Civil Claims
Success with a wrongful death claim or any other type of civil claim for damages requires clear proof of liability. You must identify the party who caused the damages cited in your claim, prove exactly how they caused them, and you must establish causation, meaning you need to prove that your claimed damages solely resulted from the defendant’s actions and not from any other cause.
If you intend to file any type of civil suit for damages in Orange County, it is vital that you understand the state’s law of pure comparative negligence. Under this rule, it is possible for a plaintiff to bear partial liability for their claimed damages and still recover compensation from a defendant. However, they lose a percentage of their final case award equal to their percentage of fault. The higher the value of the case, the greater the loss.
When an investigation into a wrongful death claim reveals that the victim contributed to causing their fatal accident in some way, the family will face a fault percentage assigned by the court. This fault percentage is then subtracted from the final case award. For example, if the decedent was found 25% responsible for causing the fatal accident, it would reduce the final case award for the family’s wrongful death claim by 25%.
Successful Trial Results Backed By Professional Credentials And Client Service
We are the car accident wrongful death lawyers of Easton & Easton, LLP. We are a multi-generational family of lawyers who understand the importance of loved ones in our lives. We are skilled, experienced and knowledgeable about California personal injury litigation and have a proud record of successful cases to back it up.
Doug Easton, the founder of Easton & Easton, LLP, has been featured by the Los Angeles Times as one of Southern California’s Best Lawyers and has been repeatedly honored as a Southern California Super Lawyer. For more than 25 years, Doug Easton has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV Preeminent* peer review rating for ethical standards and legal ability. His sons followed in his footsteps many years ago, and together our family of lawyers has earned great respect and name-recognition among our peers in the legal community in Southern California.
“We are a trial law firm, not a car accident settlement mill. We investigate our cases thoroughly and prepare every claim to go to trial. When the insurance defense lawyers know they are facing us across the table, they know that we are prepared to take the case to a jury if they don’t negotiate in good faith.” Attorney W. Douglas Easton
FAQs
Q: Who Can File a Wrongful Death Suit in Orange County?
A: State law limits eligibility to file a wrongful death suit to the decedent’s closest surviving beneficiaries. Generally, the victim’s spouse is first with the right to file a wrongful death claim, followed by any surviving children. Next would be the victim’s parents, siblings, and other close blood relatives. If they had no family, the personal representative named in their estate and/or anyone who can prove a valid claim on the contents of their estate may file the claim.
Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim?
A: There is a two-year statute of limitations for wrongful death claims in the state. This time limit begins on the date of the death. However, it is possible for the statute to begin later if the exact cause of death can’t be immediately discerned. The statute of limitations may seem generous, but the reality is that it is always preferable to file a wrongful death suit as soon as possible after a loved one’s death to have the greatest chance of success with the case.
Q: How Much Is a Wrongful Death Claim Worth in Orange County?
A: You and your family may be entitled to more compensation than you expect. The total damages available in a wrongful death claim include all economic losses resulting from the victim’s death as well as the non-economic damages suffered by the victim’s family. An experienced Orange County wrongful death lawyer can help their client accurately calculate all the claimable damages they can include in their suit.
Q: Will the Defendant Go to Jail for Causing a Wrongful Death?
A: It is possible for the party responsible for causing your loved one’s wrongful death to face criminal prosecution if they were criminally negligent or caused the death through an intentional and illegal act. Penalties for criminal offenses like drunk driving and assault increase dramatically when the defendant has caused great bodily injury or death with their actions. Your attorney can explain what implications such factors could have on your recovery efforts.
Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Orange County Wrongful Death Lawyer?
A: The attorneys at Easton & Easton accept civil claims on a contingency fee basis. When you choose us to represent your wrongful death case, you will not pay upfront or ongoing attorney fees. We take a fee only if and when we win your case, and our fee is a percentage of the final case award. This ensures you can secure the legal counsel you need when you need it most, regardless of your family’s financial situation.
Contact Our Orange County Wrongful Death Lawyers About Your Potential Case
At Easton & Easton, LLP, our years of experience allow us to seamlessly assess and coordinate whatever needs to be done after the untimely and wrongful death of a loved one to make certain the full extent of our clients’ claims are identified, quantified and proven.
Our wrongful death lawyers understand the tricks, stratagems and defenses the insurance companies and their attorneys use to defeat or minimize these types of claims, and at Easton & Easton, LLP, we utilize our experience, skill and dedication to make certain our clients do not fall victim to the insurance companies’ tricks and stratagems.
It’s vital to start the claim filing process as soon as possible after your loved one’s death. The sooner you connect with an attorney, the more likely you are to succeed with the claim. Please call us at 800-461-8259 for a free initial consultation. If we do not take your case, there is no charge.
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The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.
Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.
Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.
Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.
Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.
Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.
Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.
“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”
Partner W. Douglas Easton
What Our Clients Say
Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…
The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…
I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…
Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…
What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…
I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!
-Allee
Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.
I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!
They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.
Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.
They are the BEST!
I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.
I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way
The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!