Wrongful deaths refer to unnatural death that occurs due to the acts or negligence of another person. If you can prove that another person’s conduct or negligence caused the death of your loved one, you may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party.
Wrongful death qualifications
Washington Revised Code § 4.20.010 defines wrongful death as a death that results from “the wrongful act, neglect or default” of someone else. Examples of wrongful death causes include:
• Incident caused by negligence, such as a car accident
• Intentional criminal acts
• Medical malpractice
Common wrongful death causes
Some accidents and injuries may result in a wrongful death more often than others. The greatest number of wrongful death accidents occur because of these reasons:
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Animal attacks
• Electrical shock
• Slip and fall
• Nursing home accidents
• Product defects
• Drowning
Wrongful death defendants
A common question asked by survivors in a wrongful death lawsuit involves who the courts will hold accountable. You may file lawsuits against both individuals and corporations. Your lawsuit may include multiple parties, especially in product liability cases. Common examples of parties you can file a lawsuit against include:
• Workers or employers
• Manufacturers
• Motor vehicle companies
• Property owners
• Automobile drivers
Eligibility for filing a lawsuit
In most cases, only a personal representative of the deceased’s estate can file a lawsuit. However, parents who enjoy a significant relationship with their child may file wrongful death lawsuits without being a personal representative. For adult children, the parents may only file a claim if their child did not leave behind a spouse, domestic partner or children of their own.
Financial and emotional loss
In Washington state, wrongful death lawsuits may result in compensation for loss of direct monetary damages, such as loss of earnings or funeral costs. However, the courts in wrongful death lawsuits also consider emotional suffering and might include those damages into the compensation amount.