Tucson Wrongful Death Lawyers

Types of Wrongful Death Claims

The State of Arizona allows for recovery through the courts for the resulting damage and suffering caused by a wrongful death.

According to state law, an action for wrongful death must have a valid underlying cause to make it to trial, but negligence is not the only cause for a wrongful death case. Reckless or intentional acts such as those that would qualify as murder or manslaughter are also valid causes of action for wrongful death in Arizona.

Common causes of wrongful death include:

• Workplace accidents
• Automobile accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Medication side effects
• Medical malpractice
• Defective products

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim

Any person or corporation liable for the death of an individual due to a negligent, reckless, or intentional act can have suit brought against them for wrongful death.

An action for wrongful death, however, cannot be brought by just anybody who survives the decedent. Arizona law allows the named plaintiff of a wrongful death suit to be “a surviving husband or wife, child, parent or guardian, or personal representative of the deceased person.” If none of these parties still exist, then the representative or guardian bringing the suit is suing on behalf the decedent’s estate, and the resulting damages awarded by a jury became an asset of the estate.

Types of Compensation in a Wrongful Death Case

Because the incident in question lead to the victim’s death, the damages that a jury awards are not what would typically be awarded in a personal injury suit in Tucson.

Plaintiffs are seeking:

• Consortium damages or the resulting loss of the decedent’s companionship and care
• The loss of the decedent’s lifetime of economic support to the beneficiary or beneficiaries
• The mental anguish and grief that surviving loved ones experience after the death of the victim
• Costs of memorial services and burial
• The medical bills to treat the decedent before death, and
• If the actor was reckless or acting intentionally, punitive damages that punish the “evil mind” of a wrongdoer.

From this list of damages, one can imagine that, under Arizona law for wrongful death suits, recovery owed to the beneficiaries is quite substantial, and a suit most frequently involves the negligent party’s home or auto insurer to cover the damages awarded by a jury.

Additionally, consider whether the wrongdoer was acting in the course of employment for another person or corporation, who would then become liable for the incident their negligent or reckless employee caused.

Get Help from Our Tucson Wrongful Death Attorneys Today

If you lost a loved one, call the Tucson wrongful death lawyers at Zinda Law Group for help today. Our attorneys can answer any questions you may have and inform you of your legal options. Our firm also operate on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Call Zinda Law Group today at (800) 863-5312  for a free consultation with one of our skilled and trusted wrongful death lawyers.

Meetings with attorneys by appointment only.