Category Archives: Wrongful Death
How are Pedestrian Accidents Settled?
When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle, the victim is not likely to walk away without a few cuts, bruises, and serious injuries. Vehicles are much larger, and much heavier than the human body, so any sort of impact, no matter how slight, may result in serious and long-term injuries or death. The… Read More »
Big Rig Driver Charged With Manslaughter and Gross Negligence After Causing “Deadliest Crash in California in Decades”
Last October, a tour bus load of people was heading home to Los Angeles on Route 10 after spending a night at the casino located near the Salton Sea, southeast of San Diego. Most passengers, tired from a night of gambling, had fallen asleep. However, they were rudely awakened shortly before dawn to screams… Read More »
Car Crashes in Reverse: Back Up Safely
California car crashes do not always happen when cars are moving forward. Careless or negligent conduct while driving a car in reverse can also lead to an injury or fatal crash! Car crashes that occur while the vehicle is in reverse do tend to happen at lower speeds – it is rare for someone… Read More »
Texting While Driving is Not the Only Danger for Motorists
Thanks to public awareness campaigns and laws criminalizing the use of cellphones while driving (not only in California but throughout the United States), many motorists in the Golden State are – or should be – aware of the risks and dangers associated with texting while driving. One oft-cited statistic, for example, compares reading a… Read More »
WORKPLACE DEATH RATES HIGHER FOR OLDER WORKERS
According to a recent study by the Associated Press, workplace death rates are higher for older workers than those below the age of 55. Even though there was a 22% decrease in the fatality rate for all workers from 2006 to 2015, workers 55 and older experienced fatal accidents 50 to 60 percent more… Read More »
Police Fault Tennis Star in Fatal Crash; Wrongful Death Suit May be Next
Famous tennis star Venus Williams was allegedly declared to be at fault in a Florida car wreck that took the life of an elderly man. Now the family is bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against Ms. Williams and seeking compensation for their losses. Had this wreck occurred in California, the ending of the story… Read More »
Time Limits To Make A Claim Can Be Critical
If a person has been injured (or killed) due to the negligence of another, there are strict time limits that must be met in order to perfect or pursue a claim. Many people think that they will wait to see how things develop and stabilize before doing anything. This can be a serious mistake…. Read More »
The Necessity of Marriage for Heterosexual Couples who wish to Pursue Wrongful Death in California
The ability to sue for wrongful death in California is entirely statutory. As a result, you can only bring an action for the wrongful death of a loved one if you find yourself in the statutorily defined categories. At present, California law treats same-sex couples differently that it does heterosexual couples, when it comes… Read More »
Basics of Wrongful Death Cases in California
Personal injury incidents are never pleasant events, and neither are they always events from which the victim can walk away. Some personal injury accidents result in fatal injuries to the victim, most often the result of head trauma, spinal cord injuries, falls, and/or blood loss from cuts, lacerations, and/or amputations. When a fatal personal… Read More »
What Makes a Personal Injury “Catastrophic”?
At Heiting & Irwin, our practice is dedicated to helping victims of catastrophic personal injury accidents recover compensation for their injuries. However, “catastrophic” is an ambiguous adjective; what one person considers to be “catastrophic” may not meet another person’s definition. Even amongst personal injury attorneys there is no universally-accepted definition of what constitutes a… Read More »
