If your loved one died due to someone else’s negligence, you need an experienced wrongful death attorney to help you make those responsible pay for their wrongdoing. While no amount of compensation can make your loss feel any better, you also shouldn’t have to suffer financially because your loved one is gone. And the perpetrator should face consequences so that – hopefully – this never happens again.
We have helped families get to the bottom of very complicated wrongful death cases, and we secured the compensation they deserved for their tragic losses. Very few families say they feel “closure” after their cases end, but almost all believe that they have achieved justice for their loved ones. We want justice for you, too.
Contact an experienced Denver wrongful death attorney today at (303) 388-5304 for a free consultation.
We will go above and beyond for you.
When we examine Colorado law, we can see that a “wrongful death” is defined as a death caused by the “wrongful act, neglect, or default of another” individual or entity (Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 13-21-201, 13-21-202 (2021)).
Wrongful death claims are filed in civil court on behalf of surviving family members and/the estate of the deceased. These are not claims filed in criminal court. Criminal charges are the responsibility of state prosecutors and failed for the purpose of determining guilt and assigning appropriate punishment if convicted.
Wrongful death claims are similar to personal injury claims that a victim would have been able to pursue had they survived the incident.
Wrongful death claims in Denver can become incredibly challenging, particularly for family members who do not have much legal expertise or resources. An attorney will level the playing field and be the powerhouse behind grieving family members as they stand up to the individual(s) who caused their loved one’s death. A wrongful death attorney in Denver can use their resources to:
There are various ways that these claims can arise. At The O’Sullivan Law Firm, our Denver wrongful death lawyers regularly help family members of those who have lost a loved one due to the following:
Our team of Denver car accident attorneys is standing by to help family members in these situations. If you are unsure of whether or not we will be able to help you with your case, please contact one of our attorneys for a free consultation as soon as possible. We will examine the facts of the claim and help determine the best steps moving forward.
Colorado law determines who is able to file a wrongful death claim. The law also has stipulations about who can file based on how soon after the death has occurred.
In the first year following a person’s death, only the deceased’s surviving spouse is allowed to file a wrongful death lawsuit. However, there are some exceptions to this. The surviving spouse may choose to allow the deceased’s children to file the claim or join with the deceased’s children in filing the claim. If the deceased was unmarried at the time of their death, then the deceased’s children or designated beneficiary will be allowed to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Section 13-21-201 of the Colorado Revised Statutes (CO Rev Stat § 13-21-201) states that any of the following parties are allowed to file a wrongful death lawsuit:
After a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed, the plaintiffs in the case (the estate representative or family members) will still have to prove various elements of negligence before any damages can be awarded. In order to prove that a defendant was negligent, the following elements need to be in place:
It needs to be shown that the defendant owed some sort of duty of care to the deceased person. For example, in the case of a vehicle accident, the plaintiff must show that the defendant had an obligation to obey the rules of the road and to operate their vehicle carefully to ensure the safety of others. For death caused by a premises liability incident, it will need to be shown that the property owner owed a duty of care to the individual who was harmed on the property.
After a duty of care has been established, it needs to be shown that the defendant somehow breached their duty of care. Following the car accident situation mentioned above, it will need to be shown that the defendant failed to obey an applicable traffic law (i.e. operated well impaired, speeding, running a stop sign, etc.).
Even after it has been shown the defendant breached their duty of care, it needs to be shown that this breach somehow led directly to the death of the plaintiff.
Finally, it needs to be shown that the estate of the deceased and the family members sustained some sort of monetary or quantifiable non-monetary loss.
When a wrongful death claim arises in Colorado, an attorney will first examine whether or not a case is valid. They will make sure that the individual filing the claim is allowed to do so under the law, and they will also examine whether or not a negligent or deliberate wrongful action took place. If an attorney does proceed with the case, the usual procedures include:
Economic damages are those paid to the deceased’s surviving family members and their estate to cover the financial losses associated with the death. Some of the most common types of economic damages awarded in these situations include the following:
Non-economic damages can be more challenging to quantify because they deal with the intangible losses suffered by the deceased’s family as a result of the death. Some of the most common non-economic damages awarded in these situations include compensation for:
One of the most common defenses a person accused of causing a wrongful death will use will be to try to lay some or all of the responsibility for the death on the deceased individual. This is not uncommon to how things happen in a personal injury case. Often, the person accused of causing the injury will try to shift fault to the injury victim to limit how much money they have to pay in compensation.
Colorado operates under something called the “modified comparative negligence” system. Under this type of system, a person partially responsible for causing their injury can still receive compensation so long as they are not more than 50% responsible for the incident. However, the total amount of compensation they receive will be reduced based on their percentage of fault. We will also see this type of system play out for wrongful death claims.
If a person has lost their life due to the negligence of another individual, but they were also partially responsible, their family members and estate may receive reduced compensation based on this partial fault. For example, if a person loses their life in a vehicle accident and they are found to have been 30% responsible for the incident, the total compensation will be reduced by 30%. So, let us suppose that a family is awarded $1,000,000 in total compensation for what happened. This would then be reduced by $300,000 to reach a total of $700,000.
Families in Colorado need to be aware they have a limited amount of time to file these claims in court. The Colorado wrongful death statute of limitations is two years from the date of the deceased’s death. If family members fail to file their claim within this two-year window, they will lose the ability to recover the compensation they are entitled to.
However, there are some exceptions to this two-year rule. If a person loses their life in a vehicle accident, the wrongful death statute of limitations is extended to three years from the date of the accident or the discovery of the injury from the vehicle accident that caused the death. Additionally, if the defendant in the case attempts to hide any facts or evidence so that the cause of the death cannot be discovered, this two-year statute of limitations may also be extended.
If you have lost a loved one due to the careless or negligent actions of somebody else, please seek legal assistance as soon as possible. At The O’Sullivan Personal Injury Law Firm in Colorado, our team has extensive experience handling complex wrongful death cases throughout Colorado, and we understand what it takes to help grieving families secure the closure and compensation they need. We will not hesitate to stand up to aggressive insurance carriers or at-fault parties in these situations. When you need a Denver wrongful death lawyer, you can contact us online for a free consultation or call us at (303) 388-5304.
