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Proving Negligence In A Wrongful Death Claim

Wrongful death claims are typically brought by close relatives of the deceased person and seek compensation for the loss of their loved one and any financial losses they have incurred as a result of the death. When you lose your loved ones due to someone else’s negligence, you can file a wrongful death claim to compensate you and your family. To prove liability, you have to establish four elements of negligence. A Los Angeles injury lawyer will assist you in proving each element. 

Proving negligence in a wrongful death claim

In order to bring a wrongful death claim, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant was at fault in the death of their loved one. The plaintiff must prove that the defendant was negligent and that their negligence resulted in the death of the plaintiff’s loved one.

Duty of care

A wrongful death claim may be brought when an individual dies as a result of the negligence of another. For a claim to be successful, the claimant must show that the defendant owed the deceased a duty of care and that the defendant breached that duty, resulting in the death of the deceased. The duty of care owed by the defendant will depend on the relationship between the defendant and the deceased. For example, a driver owes a duty of care to other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the road. A doctor owes a duty of care to their patients.

Breach of duty of care

A duty of care exists when one person has an obligation to take reasonable care to avoid foreseeable injury to another person. A breach of the duty of care occurs when the person fails to take proper care, and someone is injured as a result.

In a wrongful death claim, the duty of care is usually owed by the person who caused the death to the deceased person's surviving family members. A breach of the duty of care can occur in many ways, but most commonly occurs when the person fails to take reasonable precautions to prevent the death from happening. For example, a breach of the duty of care may occur if the person fails to provide adequate security at a public event, leading to a shooting.

Damages

To win a wrongful death claim, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant's negligence or an unlawful act caused the decedent's death. A plaintiff must also prove that the death resulted in damages to the survivors.

There are several different types of damages that a plaintiff may recover in a wrongful death claim. In some cases, a plaintiff may recover damages for the mental anguish and emotional suffering the deceased experienced before death. This is called “pain and suffering” damage.


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