Did your family lose someone in a fatal accident in Sunrise?
The Andres Lopez Law Firm handles wrongful death claims for grieving families in Sunrise with care and resolve.
If your family lost a loved one to another person’s carelessness in Sunrise, no claim can undo that loss, but a wrongful death case can hold the responsible party accountable and steady the family’s footing when the income, the care, and the companionship that person provided are suddenly gone. In the early weeks, the work is quieter than most people expect. It involves preserving the evidence that exists, understanding which family members the law permits to recover, and keeping the insurer at a distance while the family grieves. The Sunrise, FL wrongful death lawyer at The Andres Lopez Law Firm has stood with families throughout Broward County since 2009. The consultation is free and private, we work on a contingency basis, and no fee is owed unless we recover. Reach out today.
Wrongful Death Lawyer Sunrise, FL
A wrongful death claim arises from negligence and is brought when a careless or wrongful act takes a person’s life. Florida’s wrongful death statute creates the right of action and places it with the personal representative of the estate, who pursues the claim on behalf of the surviving family members the law recognizes. That structure is unfamiliar to most people, and part of our role is to explain who may recover and for what.
As your wrongful death attorney, we must prove the same negligence that any injury case requires, and then translate the family’s loss into the categories the Wrongful Death Act permits. Some of those losses are economic, such as the support and services the person would have provided. Others fall within the more difficult ground of a spouse’s companionship or a child’s lost guidance. We build the record for both, with attention to what the family is experiencing as we do so.
There is also a deadline that families frequently do not anticipate in the midst of grief. The period to file is measured from the date of death, and allowing it to pass can end a valid claim before it begins. We raise that point early so that no family loses its rights to the calendar.
Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Sunrise
Fatal accidents arise in many forms, and each requires its own investigation into how the death occurred and who bears responsibility. The following are among the wrongful death cases our firm handles for families in Sunrise.
- Fatal motor vehicle collisions. A death caused by a careless driver follows the same principles of fault as a car accident claim, with the loss measured against what the family has been deprived of.
- Commercial truck fatalities. When a large truck is involved, the case can reach a motor carrier and its insurer, much as a truck crash injury claim does, and the investigation moves quickly to preserve company records.
- Workplace and high-risk job deaths. Certain occupations carry real danger, and we have written about how high-risk jobs shape a wrongful death claim and the parties who may be held to answer.
- Premises and negligent security deaths. A death on poorly maintained or inadequately secured property can place responsibility on an owner who failed in a duty of care.
- Deaths involving medical or alternative treatment. When care falls below accepted standards, a death may follow, and we have examined how alternative medicine can figure into these claims.
- Pedestrian and bicycle fatalities. A person on foot or on a bicycle has no protection against a vehicle, and these collisions are among the most likely to prove fatal.
Whatever the cause, the early loss of evidence and the running of the deadline make prompt and careful action important. We understand that families are not thinking about claims at first, and we have written for those who are only beginning to make sense of losing a loved one.
Why Choose The Andres Lopez Law Firm as my Wrongful Death Lawyer in Sunrise, FL?
Steady Representation When a Family Needs It Most
These cases call for both legal strength and genuine care, and we work to provide both. We prepare each claim for trial and take it there when an insurer refuses to be fair, because a family’s loss should not be measured by a low offer. Our personal injury lawyer in Sunrise, FL carries the legal weight so that the family can focus on one another.
Andres Lopez has handled personal injury and wrongful death matters in Florida since 2009 and earned his law degree from the University of Maryland. He is admitted before the Florida and Maryland bars, the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. His work earned Florida Rising Star recognition from Super Lawyers in 2015 and 2016, and he is part of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
A Record of Recovery and No Cost to Begin
Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for clients, including families who lost a loved one to another party’s negligence. There is no charge to begin, the consultation is free, and we assist families in Spanish. We handle these matters with discretion and with respect for what each family is enduring.
Understanding Wrongful Death Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Wrongful Death Cases
Liability rests on negligence, which requires proof that another party owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused the death. Florida’s modified comparative negligence standard can still apply, reducing a recovery by the share of fault assigned to the person who died and barring it only if that share exceeds fifty percent. The Wrongful Death Act determines who may recover and for what. Recoverable losses may include the following:
- The value of the support and services the family no longer receives
- Lost companionship, protection, and guidance for a spouse and children
- The mental pain and suffering of qualifying survivors
- Medical and funeral expenses connected to the final injury and the death
Because eligibility and the categories of damages depend on the family’s circumstances, we walk survivors through exactly what their claim may include. The combination of losses differs from one family to another, and a careful early review keeps any valid category from being overlooked when the claim is valued.
What Are Important Aspects of a Wrongful Death Case?
These claims combine a negligence case with the rules that govern the estate, so several matters deserve early attention:
- The appointment of a personal representative, since the claim is brought in that capacity
- The preservation of evidence showing how the death occurred, before it is lost
- The identification of every survivor the statute recognizes, along with the losses each has sustained
Organizing the estate and the evidence early keeps the claim on solid ground while the family takes the time it needs.
What Is the Wrongful Death Case Timeline?
These matters can take time, both because of the proof involved and because of the deadline that governs them. The general course appears below.
- The estate is opened and a personal representative is appointed
- We investigate the death and preserve the evidence of fault
- We submit a demand to the responsible party’s insurer
- A lawsuit follows if the response is inadequate, along with the discovery process
- Mediation, and a trial when no reasonable resolution is reached, conclude the matter
What Should You Bring to Your Wrongful Death Consultation?
Whatever you have will help, and there is no need to be concerned about gaps. It helps to gather the following:
- Any accident, police, or incident report
- Medical records and bills connected to the final injury
- The death certificate and information about the estate
- Insurance information for the parties involved
You should expect a gentle and honest discussion of what the law permits and what the path forward involves. There is no pressure to decide anything on that day.
What Are Important Florida Legal Resources for Wrongful Death Cases?
The following public sources allow you to confirm the rules that govern a Florida wrongful death claim.
- The deadline to file appears in the statute of limitations at section 95.11, and for wrongful death it runs two years from the date of death.
- The right to bring a wrongful death claim is created by the wrongful death statute.
- The rule dividing fault among parties appears in the comparative fault statute.
- Guidance on Florida crash records and reporting is available on the state crash records page.
- Because many fatal injuries involve head trauma, the CDC injury data center explains how these injuries are measured.
Reach Out to The Andres Lopez Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation
No claim can undo your loss, but it can hold the responsible party to account and protect your family’s future. We can explain who may recover and provide an assessment of what the claim may be worth, at no cost and with no fee unless we recover. We will proceed at a pace that respects your grief. Contact us to arrange a free, private consultation with a Sunrise wrongful death lawyer who handles these matters with care.