Have you recently suffered the unexpected death of a family member in an accident in Scottsdale, Arizona? Call KRLG Injury Lawyers at (623) 303-5754 for a free consultation. Your family may be entitled to compensation for your loss. Working with our experienced Scottsdale wrongful death lawyers can help you win the recovery you deserve.
KRLG Injury Lawyers is a personal injury law firm for the valley by the valley. We’re award-winning Scottsdale personal injury attorneys who stand beside families in times of devastation and injustice, working hard to hold powerful corporations and negligent parties accountable for tragic accidents. The case results we’ve achieved include millions of dollars in life-changing settlement agreements and jury awards.
Discover the kind of impact our top-rated legal team can have on your family’s wrongful death case by calling our Scottsdale law office for help today.
Why Families Trust KRLG Injury Lawyers After Fatal Accidents in Scottsdale, AZ
Choosing KRLG Injury Lawyers to be your advocate gives you time to grieve your unimaginable loss and puts your case in the best possible hands.
Our Scottsdale personal injury lawyers are the top choice of grieving families in Arizona because:
- Our attorneys are nationally acclaimed civil litigators recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Attorney at Law Magazine
- We’re local attorneys who genuinely care about making a positive difference in our neighbors’ lives after catastrophic accidents
- We’ve successfully obtained millions of dollars in monetary awards, including countless seven-figure recoveries
We’re a small, family-focused personal injury law firm that has the resources needed to take on multi-million-dollar corporations and win. Ask for our help in Scottsdale, AZ, and we’ll do everything within our power until you’ve been compensated for your gut-wrenching loss.
Money can’t bring your loved one back to you, but it can remove many of the burdens and stress you’ll face as you move forward with your life. It can also ensure your family gets justice for this tragedy, and our family would be honored to fight for yours.
Contact our Scottsdale wrongful death attorneys today to get started with a complimentary case review.
How Does Arizona Define Wrongful Death?
Arizona’s Wrongful Death Act, as found in Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-611, defines a wrongful death as the death of a person “caused by [a] wrongful act, neglect or default of another” that would “have entitled the party injured to maintain an action to recover damages in respect thereof” if they’d survived.
In other words, a wrongful death is an avoidable death that would have allowed the victim to file a personal injury lawsuit for damages if they’d lived.
Some of the most common causes of wrongful death include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bus accidents
- Train accidents
- Aviation accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Dog bites
- Defective products
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse
- Assault and acts of criminal violence
The right to pursue compensation through a legal claim doesn’t disappear just because the decedent dies. Instead, Arizona shifts this right to another party.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Action in Arizona?
In Arizona, any of the following parties are legally permitted to file a wrongful death lawsuit:
- Spouse
- Child
- Parent or guardian, and/or
- Personal representative.
A personal representative can file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the decedent’s surviving heirs or the decedent’s estate if they’re not survived by any close family members. The personal representative can be established by the victim’s will or, in the absence of a will, appointed by an Arizona state court judge.
Most often, the personal representative is a close friend or family member or, in some cases, an Arizona personal injury attorney.
When a lawsuit is filed by or on behalf of surviving heirs, any damages awarded in the lawsuit are distributed directly to those beneficiaries. If the wrongful death lawsuit is filed on behalf of the decedent’s estate, any damages won are paid to the estate and distributed in accordance with the decedent’s will or Arizona intestacy law.
How Much Is My Wrongful Death Case Worth?
It depends. Putting a price on a wrongful death case is a very complicated process.
Many factors have to be taken into account, including:
- What was your family member’s life expectancy before they were killed in the accident?
- How much financial support did your loved one provide for you and their dependents?
- What was their earning capacity?
- How old were they at the time of their wrongful death?
- What out-of-pocket costs have you and other family members incurred because of your loved one’s wrongful death?
- What was the nature of your relationship with the victim?
- Is your family member being blamed, in full or in part, for their fatal injuries?
There are a lot of “what ifs” and financial projections that have to be considered when determining what a wrongful death claim is worth. Our Arizona wrongful death attorneys know that every cent can make a difference, which is why we won’t hesitate to bring in trusted experts and specialists to offer guidance throughout the claims process.
What Damages Can I Recover With a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
If your wrongful death claim is successful, a settlement agreement or jury award can include economic damages and non-economic damages for:
- Medical expenses paid to treat your family member’s injuries before they passed
- Costs paid for your family member’s funeral, burial, or cremation
- The lost financial support, including wages, income, benefits, and other earnings, your family member would have provided if they’d survived
- The reasonable value of household services, such as family-rearing, elder support, and general household maintenance, that your loved one provided
- Loss of inheritance
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of comfort, care, companionship, guidance, and assistance
- Pain and suffering
Losing someone you care about and rely on can turn your world upside-down. In Arizona, a wrongful death lawsuit can help you cope with the financial implications of your family member’s death, as well as the harder-to-value trauma and life changes you’re forced to deal with in the wake of a tragedy. Ultimately, you’re entitled to receive whatever damages are deemed to be “fair and just.”
If the defendant refuses to make a fair settlement offer during negotiations, your wrongful death lawsuit could proceed to trial. Should your case go to a jury, you could potentially receive punitive damages, as well. Punitive damages are intended as punishment for a defendant whose actions are deemed to be malicious, grossly negligent, or fraudulent.
How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Wrongful Death Attorney in Scottsdale?
It won’t cost anything out of pocket. Our wrongful death lawyers in Scottsdale, AZ, offer contingency fee representation. Our attorney fees are entirely dependent on the case results we achieve. If we don’t win, you’ll pay nothing.
When we obtain a settlement agreement or win a verdict for your family at trial, our attorney fees come directly out of that monetary award. It varies from case to case, but the average cost is typically between 30% and 40%.
How Does Arizona’s Comparative Fault Rule Affect Wrongful Death Litigation?
Arizona’s pure comparative negligence doctrine applies to most personal injury disputes, including claims for wrongful death.
Instead of taking the plaintiff’s shared responsibility into account, the decedent’s shared fault is what matters. So, if your family member’s negligent or wrongful actions contributed to their fatal injuries, it’ll likely affect your ability to get compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit.
Damages will usually be reduced proportionately to their degree of fault. For example, if your spouse was killed in a fatal truck accident in Scottsdale and is assigned 10% of the blame for the deadly crash, your wrongful death damages might be reduced by 10%.
It’s common for at-fault parties, defense attorneys, and insurance adjusters to point fingers and blame accident victims, especially when they don’t survive. Our wrongful death attorneys in Scottsdale will be ready to dispute these allegations, fight to protect your family member’s good name and legacy, and demand the full value of your wrongful death claim.
What’s the Statute of Limitations on Wrongful Death Cases in Arizona?
The statute of limitations for wrongful death litigation in Arizona is generally two years. The two-year window in which you can file a lawsuit typically begins to run on the date of your loved one’s passing.
You may lose the right to demand compensation from a negligent or otherwise responsible party when the filing deadline passes, so it’s important to take prompt action.
Contact Our Scottsdale Wrongful Death Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Call KRLG Injury Lawyers for immediate legal assistance if you’ve recently suffered the wrongful death of a close family member in Scottsdale, Arizona. Someone else was careless. Our Scottsdale wrongful death lawyers are here to get the financial justice you deserve.
As top-rated Arizona trial attorneys with decades of collective experience, we’ve won millions of dollars for our clients.
Demand the kind of case results you deserve, too, by contacting our law office in Scottsdale for help today.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Scottsdale, AZ
KRLG Injury Lawyers Scottsdale
7702 E Doubletree Ranch Rd #150, Scottsdale, AZ 85258
(623) 303-5754