In 2021, the State of California reported approximately 4,161 motor vehicle related deaths, an increase from the year before. Death from car crashes remains a big problem across the United States. In the U.S., a person’s lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash are about 1 in 101. There are many different causes of deadly car accidents, but the most common is when a careless driver engages in reckless behavior.
There is no amount of financial compensation on Earth that can make up for the preventable loss of a loved one. Yet, it remains essential for surviving loved ones to explore their legal options after suffering such a loss. Depending upon the circumstances that lead to the death of someone who has been injured or fallen ill due to circumstances that were (at least partially) beyond their control, that victim’s surviving loved ones may be entitled to significant compensation as a result of their loss.
Certainly, both personal injury and wrongful death claims can be difficult for families to handle. They take lots of time. Personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits are emotional processes. After losing someone or having a loved one sustain an injury, consider consulting with an attorney to handle your legal claims.
A tree trimmer died while working 50 feet off the ground in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles County. The victim, approximately 70 years old, was spotted by a neighbor dangling upside down around noon. About 40 firefighters responded to the scene. They used a truck with an aerial ladder and a rope and harness system to extricate the man, lowering him to the ground. He was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m.
A 64-year-old man was killed and two women survived after an enormous oak tree fell came crashing down onto a two-story home, as reported by the LA Times and multiple other news outlets. The tree—estimated to weigh around 100,000 pounds—fell on the home around 11 p.m.
The untimely loss of a loved one is devastating in any situation, let alone when it is caused by the reckless or negligent actions of another party. In such cases, the surviving loved ones of the victim may be entitled to seek compensation by filing either a wrongful death or a survival action against the liable parties who caused the accident. Both wrongful death and survival actions are statutory and strictly governed by California state law. In other words, both exist because California passed laws or statutes to allow these types of claims. However, there are two major differences between the laws governing wrongful death claims and survival actions.
