In San Diego, as in other places around the country, accidental death is among the leading causes of fatalities. The National Safety Council projects that every five minutes, another person will die in a preventable accident. This means there are thousands of families all across the country who lose a loved one under circumstances that could, and should, have been prevented.
Often, grieving relatives in San Diego have the option of filing a wrongful death lawsuit if they can prove that the actions that led to the death of their loved one meet certain criteria, including if there was negligence or intent to harm, if the survivor was dependent on the victim, and if the survivor represents the estate of the deceased individual.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
In San Diego in 2012, 989 people were killed due to car accidents. Of all the deaths that occurred in San Diego, 4.9 percent were due to the negligence actions of a driver. We know that roughly 40 percent of all automobile accident deaths occur as a result of the driver driving under the influence of alcohol. If you have a loved one who has been killed in an automotive accident, we would need to prove that the negligent actions of the other driver resulted in the wrongful death of your loved one. Typically, if alcohol is involved, there will also be a criminal case, though these often end without a satisfactory judgment for the family of the victims.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is a growing problem among members of the medical community. This is because doctors are being asked to perform too many surgeries and hand out too many medications, and this leads to a negligence in care. Over 90 percent of all reported malpractice incidents end up with the victim having a lifelong disability or dying. If you have a relative who has died as a result of a surgical mishap, medication prescription error, negligence in care, or a fundamental misdiagnosis, then there could exist grounds for a wrongful death suit. Just to put things in perspective, over 1.5 million people across the country have been affected by medication errors, and over 7,000 people died because of these errors. This is what is known as negligence and in San Diego, can be a wrongful death.
Falls Due to an Unsafe Work Environment
According to the Bureau of Labor and statistics, there are more than 6,000 fatalities that occur on an annual basis as a direct result of employer negligence when it comes to the care of their employees. Workers in the field of construction and manufacturing in San Diego may be considered especially at risk; however, anybody who does any kind of physical work and is not provided with a safe and secure job environment could be the victim of a wrongful death. For this reason, falls and workplace accidents are among the top causes of wrongful death in San Diego.
Do You Have a Wrongful Death Claim?
To discuss the specifics of your case and to receive suggestions as to the best way to proceed, call Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers and schedule a consultation. We would be happy to assist you and answer any questions that you may have. You can reach us at (888) 233-5020.
