If one of your loved ones has recently died in a motor vehicle crash, you may need the assistance of a skilled, compassionate fatal car accident lawyer like those at the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin in Yuba City.
The sudden and traumatic nature of these tragedies can leave you and your family reeling with grief and facing more questions than answers. Getting justice requires you to take prompt and decisive legal action. The Law Offices of Steve Gimblin can help you take this step.
No amount of money can replace your loved one or fill the void their death has created. But that doesn’t mean you and your family must suffer financially as a result of someone else’s negligence.
With help from an experienced fatal accident attorney, you and your loved ones can receive monetary compensation for your losses. While winning compensation won’t bring back the one you’ve lost, it can help alleviate the difficulty their passing has wrought.
It may seem inappropriate, even disrespectful, to talk about pursuing compensation after losing someone you care about in an auto crash.
After all, no amount of money can adequately compensate you for your loved one’s absence. As such, you may conclude that speaking with a fatal injury lawyer about a possible lawsuit and compensation is futile.
That said, the sudden unexpected death of a loved one in a car accident can saddle you and other surviving family members with obligations and expenses you’re unprepared to deal with. These may include:
This says nothing of your loved one’s pain and suffering, the reduction in income your household might experience as a result of them not being around, and the emotional trauma you and other surviving family members are forced to endure.
All of these hardships warrant compensation. Through a successful accident lawsuit, you can ensure that these and other costs are paid by the persons or entities who caused you and your loved ones to sustain them.
The fatal auto accidents lawyers at the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin are here to help you hold those responsible for your loved one’s death to account.
When you decide to pursue compensation following your loved one’s death, you and your fatal injury attorney will need to establish that another person, business, or corporate entity is legally beholden to you for compensation. To do this, you must prove that:
Each of these elements must be shown to be true more likely than not. Otherwise, you may not receive an appropriate settlement offer or succeed if your case goes to court.
Building and presenting a successful fatal car accident case isn’t a quick or easy task. Fortunately, the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin have represented numerous individuals whose loved ones have been killed in car accidents.
While this gives us the necessary knowledge and experience to handle these complicated legal matters competently, we never rush a case to achieve a quick result at the expense of your rights. We focus on building a winnable case, then fight tenaciously for justice.
Learn more about our services by contacting our legal experts today.
A Yuba City fatal car accident lawyer can’t undo the consequences of a severe wreck. Nonetheless, it’s crucial that you speak to and retain a qualified attorney as soon as you’re able following the death of a loved one in a serious crash. The sooner you do, the stronger your legal position will be.
Your lawyer will want to accomplish the following objectives as soon as possible while evidence is still available and memories are fresh.
Regardless of whether your loved one passed away immediately at the scene of the crash or died weeks later in the hospital, your ability to obtain compensation depends on evidence connecting their death with some negligent act committed by another.
In light of this, your fatal car crash attorney will want to secure records of your deceased loved one’s medical history, ambulance transport, hospital stay, resulting surgery or other procedures, and autopsy if one is performed.
These records will provide a glimpse of your loved one’s general health and any preexisting conditions they had before the crash. They’ll also document the injuries your loved one sustained in the accident. Possible injuries might include:
Showing that these injuries not only resulted from the crash but that they directly contributed to your loved one’s passing is an essential part of a winning lawsuit.
Next, the knowledgeable fatal car accident attorneys handling your case will independently review the evidence gathered by the law enforcement personnel who investigated the crash.
If necessary, your attorney will also go beyond law enforcement reports and diagrams, looking at related evidence and speaking to other witnesses and experts.
In addition to the evidence collected and prepared by law enforcement, your attorney may want to review data from the vehicles’ event data recorders and depose witnesses who observed the crash. The goal of these efforts is first to uncover whether any person or entity involved in the crash acted carelessly or irresponsibly.
Speeding, driving under the influence, and failing to yield the right-of-way when required are all common ways a person acting carelessly can cause a crash. Defective road design and poor road maintenance by local authorities may also be to blame.
Next, your fatal injury lawyer’s investigation will identify specific factors that may have made the crash more likely or contributed to your loved one’s injuries. Such factors could lower the amount of compensation you’re eligible to recover, even if another person’s negligence is primarily to blame.
This investigation needs to occur swiftly, which is why it’s important to retain resourceful and experienced fatal auto accidents lawyers at your earliest convenience. You only have two years to bring a claim seeking compensation, so it’s imperative that your legal team pinpoint the cause of the crash and narrow down the responsible parties.
To receive compensation, you must file claims with the appropriate insurance companies. You must also be prepared to open one or more lawsuits if necessary. You must file and submit your claim within the appropriate statute of limitations of two years.
One of the chief benefits of having legal representation at this stage is that your attorney can help you decide whether a settlement is an appropriate resolution to your claims.
While many insurance carriers and responsible parties will seek a settlement if evidence suggests that they caused the crash and consequent death, not all settlement offers adequately compensate you for your and your family’s losses.
If you can’t reach a fair settlement, you must have your claims litigated in court by a skilled trial attorney in order to receive compensation. For this reason alone, you should choose your advocate carefully to ensure that you’re ready for whatever may ensue.
When a loved one has been killed in a car crash, not just any attorney will do. You need a lawyer who’s well-suited for the task of representing you, your family, and your deceased loved one.
With that in mind, you’ll want to look for an attorney who satisfies the following criteria:
Your rights are too important for your case to be some inexperienced lawyer’s learning opportunity. Seek out an attorney who’s practiced in the area of personal injury law and complicated auto accidents for years. Such an attorney will know what steps need to be completed and when to guide your case toward a successful conclusion.
Not all experience is equally valuable. For this reason, it’s crucial that your attorney also has a proven track record of recovering compensation for their clients.
As your claim progresses, you’ll likely have many questions and concerns. You need a lawyer who will be available to answer these questions and keep you apprised of your case’s status.
You shouldn’t have to constantly hound your lawyer to get information about your case. When interviewing various candidates, ask them how often they keep in touch with their clients and what methods of communication they use.
Some lawyers may view your tragedy as their opportunity for a payday. Their focus isn’t on getting justice for your family or helping secure your financial future — it’s on their bottom line.
You deserve better. Look for an attorney who will listen to you and whose advice is tailored to your needs.
Some attorneys will charge an hourly rate to represent you no matter what outcome they receive. This arrangement can leave you in an even worse financial situation than you were in before. A better option is to look for a firm that works on contingency, like the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin.
With a contingency fee arrangement, your attorney is paid a small portion of whatever award they’re able to recover for you. If they fail to obtain any compensation, you won’t pay them any fees.
Such an arrangement not only encourages your lawyer to work diligently to obtain the compensation you’re counting on but also transfers the financial risks of an unsuccessful claim to your legal representative.
At the end of the day, skills and fee arrangements are no substitute for the confidence that your attorney is always doing their best for you.
There will be times when you must simply trust that your attorney is doing everything they can to advance your case. Otherwise, you may become anxious and discontent, which can negatively impact your relationship with them.
The Law Offices of Steve Gimblin checks each of these boxes, and we’re prepared to earn your trust.
Having recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients over the years, we’re well-equipped to handle your case professionally and efficiently. Reach out today to get started.
If you’ve had a loved one suddenly taken from you in a car wreck, you undoubtedly have much on your mind. But don’t put off speaking with a fatal auto accidents attorney from the Law Offices of Steve Gimblin. We can protect your legal rights and pursue justice for you and your family.
Contact us today to schedule a no-cost consultation with a fatal car accident attorney.