Plaintiff-focused wrongful death lawyers preparing every case with experience and dedication.
If your family lost a loved one because of another person’s negligence, California law gives surviving family members the right to seek compensation. A wrongful death claim cannot undo what happened. It can, however, hold the responsible party accountable and provide financial stability when income, support, and companionship have been taken away.
Our Roseville, CA wrongful death lawyer at Choulos & Tsoi Law Firm has handled California fatality claims for over 35 years. We investigate carefully, manage communication with insurance carriers so the family does not have to, and pursue the full damages California law allows. Call today for a free consultation.
Wrongful Death Lawyer Roseville, CA
A wrongful death attorney represents the spouse, children, parents, or other eligible family members of someone killed because of another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct. The work involves identifying who has the legal right to bring the claim, documenting both the financial and personal losses, and pursuing compensation from every available source of insurance or assets. The lawyer also handles the practical burdens that families should not have to carry, including dealing with the at-fault party’s insurance carrier, gathering records, and coordinating with treating providers, the coroner, and law enforcement.
A Roseville wrongful death lawyer who has handled fatality cases before understands the procedural details that families do not need to learn at the worst moment of their lives.
Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Roseville
Wrongful death claims in California arise from many different kinds of preventable harm. Our firm represents families across the Roseville area in fatality cases involving the following situations.
- Car accidents. Fatal crashes on I-80, Highway 65, and surface streets account for a significant share of the wrongful death claims our firm handles. Driver inattention, speed, and impairment are common causes.
- Pedestrian accidents. A pedestrian struck by a car or truck rarely survives a high-speed impact. We pursue every available source of recovery for the family.
- Motorcycle accidents. Riders who lose their lives in California crashes often do so because another driver failed to yield, turned across their path, or struck them from behind.
- Truck accidents. Collisions involving commercial trucks frequently produce fatal outcomes given the size and weight differential. These cases involve federal motor carrier regulations, employer liability, and complex insurance arrangements.
- Bicycle accidents. A cyclist hit by a careless driver can suffer fatal injuries even at moderate speeds. We pursue claims against negligent drivers and, in some cases, against entities responsible for unsafe road conditions.
- Premises liability deaths. Falls from height, balcony and railing failures, drownings at inadequately supervised pools, and security failures at apartment complexes can all support a wrongful death claim against the property owner or operator.
- Medical negligence. When a misdiagnosis, surgical error, or medication mistake causes a patient’s death, surviving family members may have a claim against the providers and facilities involved.
- Workplace fatalities involving third parties. When a worker is killed on the job due to the negligence of someone other than the employer, a wrongful death claim may exist alongside the workers’ compensation death benefit.
- Catastrophic events. Some fatalities arise from incidents that initially appear to be catastrophic injury cases before the victim later dies from their injuries. The legal analysis shifts when that happens.
- Government vehicle and public entity claims. Fatalities involving city, county, state, or federal vehicles raise government vehicle claim issues, including strict notice deadlines that families must observe to preserve the case.
Why Choose Choulos & Tsoi Law Firm for Wrongful Death Cases in Roseville, CA?
Experience Handling California’s Most Serious Injury Cases
Founder James Choulos has represented California families and injured individuals since 1990, earning his J.D. from Santa Clara University and his B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley. He holds memberships in the American Association for Justice, Consumer Attorneys of California, and the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.
Managing partner Victor Tsoi is a longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and brings the firm’s negotiation and litigation experience to fatality cases involving impaired and reckless drivers. Victor earned his J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and his B.A. from UC Berkeley.
As a personal injury lawyer in Roseville, CA, our firm brings 35 years of combined experience to every wrongful death matter we accept.
A Track Record in Serious and Catastrophic Cases
Choulos & Tsoi Law Firm has recovered millions of dollars for clients in serious injury and catastrophic harm cases throughout California. Wrongful death cases require the same rigorous preparation we bring to every catastrophic file. Investigators, treating providers, accident reconstruction professionals, and economists may all play a role depending on what the case requires. We do not promise outcomes, and we do not push families into early settlements. What we promise is a careful, deliberate effort to pursue everything the family is owed.
Understanding Wrongful Death Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Wrongful Death Cases
California recognizes two separate but related claims when a person dies due to another party’s wrongful conduct. The wrongful death claim belongs to surviving family members for their own losses. The survival action belongs to the decedent’s estate for the harm the decedent experienced before death.
Damages in a California wrongful death claim include:
- Financial support the decedent would have provided to the family
- Loss of household services, including childcare, home maintenance, and other contributions
- Loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, and moral support
- Loss of the decedent’s training, guidance, and counsel to surviving children
- Funeral and burial expenses
Damages in a survival action may include the decedent’s medical expenses, lost wages between the injury and death, and, in cases involving extreme conduct, punitive damages.
Liability still has to be established by showing the at-fault party owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused the death. Many wrongful death cases involve factors that determine fault similar to those in any serious injury claim. California applies pure comparative negligence in wrongful death cases, which means recovery is reduced by the decedent’s share of fault but not eliminated unless the decedent was entirely responsible.
Important Aspects in Your Wrongful Death Case
Several practical considerations shape the strength and value of a wrongful death claim. Knowing them early protects the family’s rights.
- Who has the legal standing to bring the claim
- The available insurance limits and any umbrella coverage
- Whether the at-fault party has personal assets beyond insurance
- Strength of liability evidence, including police reports and witnesses
- Whether multiple defendants share responsibility
California law specifies the order of priority for who may file. Generally, the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, children, and certain other dependents have the right to bring the action. Disputes among potential claimants can complicate cases, particularly in blended families. Addressing standing early helps avoid delays later in the case.
Wrongful Death Case Timeline
Each case is unique, but these are the general steps most wrongful death claims follow.
- Investigation, evidence preservation, and family interviews in the first weeks
- Identification of all eligible claimants and any required probate filings
- Demand letter or notice of claim issued to the at-fault parties
- Insurance carrier response and initial negotiation
- Lawsuit filed if the carrier’s offer fails to reflect the loss
- Discovery, depositions, and expert work
- Mediation or settlement conference
- Trial or final resolution
Some claims resolve within a year. Cases involving contested liability, multiple defendants, or government entities can take significantly longer. Patience usually produces better results than rushed settlements.
What to Bring to Your Wrongful Death Consultation
A few items help us evaluate the matter quickly during the first meeting.
- Any police report, coroner’s report, or incident report
- The death certificate
- Identification of the decedent’s surviving spouse, children, or dependents
- Insurance information for the at-fault party, if known
- Any communications already received from insurance carriers or attorneys
After the initial meeting, we begin preserving evidence and contacting witnesses while memories and physical evidence are still available. The consultation costs nothing, and the family is under no obligation to retain the firm afterward. We typically respond to new inquiries within one business day.
California Legal Resources for Wrongful Death
These resources help Roseville families understand the legal framework that applies to a wrongful death claim.
- California Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.60 defines who may bring a wrongful death claim.
- California Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.61 governs the recoverable damages available in a wrongful death case.
- California Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.30 establishes survival actions brought by the decedent’s estate.
- California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 sets a two-year statute of limitations for wrongful death claims.
- The NHTSA FARS data system publishes federal data on motor vehicle deaths and contributing factors.
- The City of Roseville provides local traffic safety information for residents and visitors.
Reach Out to Choulos & Tsoi Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation
Choulos & Tsoi Law Firm represents families with compassion and a dedication to see justice served. An attorney will review the circumstances of the death, identify who has the right to bring a claim, and evaluate every available source of recovery under California law. Contact us to schedule a consultation with a lawyer who has spent over three decades representing California families in their most difficult moments.
