Los Angeles Wrongful Death Attorney

Nothing can compare to the pain of losing a loved one, especially due to a wrongful death. Losing a loved one because of someone else’s carelessness, negligence, or wrongdoing is heart-wrenching.

Olan Law Cares
David Olan is a leading Santa Monica wrongful death attorney. He has more than 20 years of experience representing people like you who have lost a parent, spouse, domestic partner, or child because of someone else’s carelessness, negligence, or wrongdoing.

David Olan knows that money can’t begin to compensate you for the loss of your loved one. But the money from a wrongful death lawsuit can:

• Provide you the earnings your loved one would have earned
• Provide you financial resources for household or childcare assistance
• Reimburse you for medical expenses
• Reimburse you for funeral and burial expenses
• Attempt to compensate you for your loss of companionship
• Stop this from happening to someone else
• Punish the person or corporation responsible for their carelessness, negligence, or wrongdoing

As a wrongful death attorney, David Olan will help you with the legal and financial ramifications of your loss.  He will do everything legally possible to make those — whether it’s a person, corporation, or government entity — who is responsible for your loved one’s death be brought to justice.

How Wrongful Death Happens
A wrongful death is the result of a person’s or a corporation’s carelessness, negligence, or wrongdoing. A wrongful death may be caused by a:

• Motor Vehicle Accident
• Bicycle Accident
• Pedestrian Accident
• Truck Accident
• Construction Accident
• Defective Product
• Work-Related Injury
• Medical Malpractice
• Medication Error
• Animal Attack
• Negligent Caretaking (such as at a day-care, a public swimming pool, a babysitting service, or summer camp)
• Assault and Battery

The Cost of a Wrongful Death Lawyer
Olan Law is sensitive to the trials a family faces when they lose a loved one.  In most situations, Olan Law takes cases on a contingency basis.  This means thatyou pay nothing until your case is resolved.

In fact, it will cost you more in the long run if you don’t consult with a wrongful death attorney.  On average, personal injury victims who are represented by lawyers recover six to seven times more than victims who represent themselves.

Time Limits to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
As hard as it may be to face, you must contact a wrongful death attorney at Olan Law right away to ensure you don’t miss the statutes of limitation (deadlines) by which you must file your wrongful death lawsuit.

If you miss the statute of limitation (deadline), then you are giving up your rights forever to file a wrongful death lawsuit for the loss of your son, daughter, father, mother, husband, wife, or domestic partner.

Your wrongful death lawyer will investigate the facts of your wrongful death lawsuit. David Olan will use top experts in their fields to determine who is liable for the loss of your loved one.

They will interview witnesses before their memories fade.  They will obtain records to ensure that evidence in your wrongful death lawsuit is not lost.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation
David Olan at Olan Law can help you face what lies ahead. Contact Olan Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Wrongful Death
Questions & Answers

Q: How long do you have to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California?
A:  The statue of limitations for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in California is usually within 2 years of the loved ones death. Special circumstances can apply making the deadline sooner or later. Contact David Olan to get information about your specific situation.

Q:  Who can sue for wrongful death in California?
A:  In California, surviving spouses, domestic partners, and “putative” spouses (someone who is financially dependent on the deceased and believed they were in a valid marriage but the marriage was void or voidable), are eligible to seek compensation for the wrongful death of a loved one.

Others who may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit include biological or adopted children and stepchildren who were financially dependent on the deceased. A minor who has lived with the deceased for at least 180 days before the death and who is dependent on the deceased for at least 50% of their financial support also may have a claim.

Parents who lost a minor child or an adult child who has no descendants and who financially supported their parents, may be able to seek compensation for their loss.

If there is no spouse or children, other family members whom California recognizes as heirs may have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Q:  If you were never married to your partner, in California can you sue for your partner’s wrongful death?
A:  California does not recognize common law marriage. No matter how long you had lived with your partner before their death, if you were not legally married, you are not eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

There are 3 exceptions to this:

• If a common law marriage was contracted in another state that recognizes common law marriages.
• If you have a signed domestic partnership agreement.
• If you believed in good faith that you were legally married but the marriage was void or voidable (putative spouse).

Be aware, if there are any biological or adopted children or stepchildren, they may be eligible to bring a wrongful death action.

Q:  How long does a wrongful death lawsuit take?
A:  Though it’s possible a wrongful death case can be settled quickly, it is more common that the case will take anywhere from 1 to 4 years to resolve.

Q:  Who pays in a wrongful death lawsuit in California?
A:  When your wrongful death case is resolved — either through settlement or by verdict — and the defendant is found to be liable for your loved ones wrongful death, compensation is usually paid by an insurance company. Sometimes a portion is paid by the defendant themselves.

For a free, no-obligation, confidential consultation, contact David Olan.