San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

A wrongful death lawsuit can be brought by close victims of the deceased against the alleged wrongdoer. A statute dictates who can sue for wrongful death and who cannot, and it varies between different jurisdictions. The majority of jurisdictions give pecuniary damages, which is money or support that the deceased would have given to his family members, minus what he would have kept for himself. In California, a wrongful death claimant can recover for pecuniary damages but is unable to recover for pain and suffering. The law may be different in different states.

In Maryland on February 2, 2009, the family of George Smith settled with Wal-Mart in a wrongful death claim. The claim was that Mr. Smith received the incorrect prescription from a Wal-Mart pharmacist and died as a result of that. Two grown children of Mr. Smith brought the claim for $3 million. Mr. Smith took the medication in March 2007, which was meant for someone else, and became ill eight days later and then died at the hospital. The terms of the settlement were not revealed and are under seal.

Greenberg & Rudman LLP are experienced attorneys who have handled many wrongful death lawsuits. If you think a loved one was killed in a wrongful death accident, please call us now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) to get a free consultation from one of our experienced attorneys. We have won over $150 million in trials and settlements, many of which against large corporations or insurance companies. Go to our website, www.alawpro.com to find out more about wrongful death claims in California.