Tucson Wrongful Death Lawyer

The unexpected death of a loved one is devastating to families, especially if the death was the result of the negligence of another and could have been avoided.

Hiring an experienced attorney may be beneficial for you and your family during this time. Arizona law allows family members to seek compensation for financial and emotional damages suffered after losing a loved one.

The Tucson wrongful death lawyers at Phillips Law Group offer a free consultation to help determine if you may have a chance to recover compensation. Our firm has been protecting the rights of injury victims and their families for over 27 years. We have worked with over 155,000 consumer clients and helped them to recover over $1 billion in compensation. This includes a motorcycle accident wrongful death case where we were able to recover $4.5 million, and a defective tire wrongful death claim where we were able to collect $4 million on behalf of the victim’s family.

Call us today to schedule a free no obligation-consultation. There are no fees up front and we only get paid if we recover compensation for you.

Call us anytime 24/7 at 1-800-706-3000 or you can fill out our free online form.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?

In Arizona, there are certain individuals who have the right to file wrongful death claims, known as “distributees”:

  • Spouse of the deceased
  • Children of the deceased
  • Parent of the deceased
  • Legal guardian of the deceased
  • Legal representative of the estate

This is an issue you can discuss with a Tucson wrongful death lawyer at Phillips Law Group. The consultation is free and confidential.

How Do I Know if I Have a Case?

Usually, attorneys must prove the victim’s death resulted from negligence to be able to pursue compensation for damages.

There are four aspects of negligence:

  1. The existence of a duty of care: The at-fault individual or entity must have owed your loved one a legal duty to take steps that were reasonable to prevent an injury or death.
  2. Breach of the established duty of care: The at-fault party did not uphold the duty to the victim. Sometimes at-fault parties simply fail to act, or they act carelessly or intentionally cause harm to someone else.
  3. Direct link between the negligent act and a loved one’s death: Your loved one’s death would not have happened without the breach of the duty of care.
  4. Damages resulted from the injury: Damages in a wrongful death claim may include lost income, burial costs and other funeral expenses. Emotional damages may be included as well, such as, the pain and suffering and emotional anguish caused by losing a loved one.

Proving negligence is a complex task and it is generally best to leave it to a team of licensed legal professionals with a track record of success. The team at Phillips Law Group includes award-winning attorneys, experienced investigators and paralegals and other support staff with many years of combined experience building personal injury cases.

Contact a Tucson wrongful death lawyer. Ph: 1-800-706-3000 .

Common Types of Wrongful Death Cases

Wrongful deaths often occur in the following situations:

  • Auto accidents ”“ Sadly, everyday people lose their lives in auto accidents and many of them occur due to the carelessness of other drivers. Whether it be speeding, traveling in the wrong direction, drinking and driving or texting while driving, negligent drivers may be held liable for your damages.
  • Motorcycle accidents ”“ Since motorcycles have very little protection, crashes with other vehicles can lead to catastrophic injuries that may result in death.
  • Workplace accidents ”“ Accidents at the workplace can happen in just about any industry, however, some jobs are more dangerous than others, such as construction, industrial work and some forms of manual labor. Our law firm was able to recover $1.4 million for a mining accident that resulted in a wrongful death.
  • Medical malpractice ”“ Many serious injuries occur due to medical malpractice. Not only can a medical staff be held liable for mistakes made during medical treatments, they can also be held responsible for a lack of action. For example, our attorneys were able to secure $470,000 in a case where the victim passed away due to a delay in treatment.
  • Defective products ”“ Unfortunately, there are times when a defective or poorly-designed product can cause fatal injuries.

Our Tucson wrongful death lawyers are prepared to help families who experienced a wrongful death to pursue compensation for damages.

Damages That May be Available in a Wrongful Death Claim

There are two categories of compensation for a wrongful death claim. These are direct losses and emotional losses.

A direct loss is a financial cost associated with the loss of a loved:

  • Funeral costs
  • Burial costs
  • Property damage
  • Medical bills from the treatment that preceded a loved one’s death
  • Lost wages that deceased would have earned if not for death

Emotional losses refer to the psychological effects loved one’s experience from the unexpected loss of a loved one. Some examples include lost companionship and pain and suffering.

Under Arizona’s Survival Laws, the deceased person’s estate can pursue these damages, as they would have been available if not for death. State law says any amounts recovered cannot be used to pay off the deceased’s debts, unless a lawsuit is filed on the relatives’ behalf.

Compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit is generally not taxed by the IRS.

If you have questions about compensation or other aspects of wrongful death cases, our Tucson wrongful death lawyers are here to help.

Call Phillips Law Group at 1-800-706-3000 .

How Much Time Do I Have to File a Claim?

Although there might be different circumstances that may affect your case, the statute of limitations in Arizona states that you have two years from the date of the death to file a wrongful death claim.

However, there may be other details in your case that may cause your filing time period to be extended or shortened. For instance, if your claim is against a government entity, you only have 180 days to file. If you miss the deadline, you may lose your chance to pursue compensation.

If you are unsure how much time may be left to take legal action, you can discuss it with an attorney at Phillips Law Group. The consultation is free of charge.

Reach Out to Our Tucson Wrongful Death Lawyers

The unexpected loss of a loved one can be very difficult for families, both emotionally and financially. Hiring a Tucson wrongful death lawyer is an important step when exploring whether compensation may be available.

At Phillips Law Group, our legal team has been helping families recover the compensation they deserve for nearly three decades. We have obtained verdicts throughout Arizona in several counties, including Pima, Maricopa, Navajo, Mohave, Pinal, Gila and Yavapai.

Our founding partner, Jeffrey Phillips, is a premiere member of the American Academy of Trial Attorneys and was designated as one of the “Best Attorneys of America.”

Feel free to call our firm anytime 24/7. We are prepared to answer any questions you may have about your wrongful death claim.

Our Tucson office is located in the downtown area at One South Church Avenue, which is only a 10-minute walk from the Tucson Amtrak station.

Call Phillips Law Group today at 1-800-706-3000 or you can fill out ouronline formand someone will be in contact with you shortly.