Redmond Wrongful Death Lawyer

When a person’s death is caused by the negligence of someone else, Washington law allows the surviving family to file a wrongful death claim. This legal action is designed to provide financial stability for the people left behind. It recognizes that the loss creates a financial hole that can jeopardize a family’s future.

But a legal right on paper and actually recovering fair compensation are two different things.

The process is governed by strict deadlines and detailed evidence rules. You will be dealing with insurance companies or corporate legal teams who are focused on their own business interests. This is why you need a Redmond wrongful death lawyer to manage the process for you.

At Narwal Injury Law, we handle the legal work so your family can focus on healing. If you have questions about a recent loss and your family’s options, we provide clear answers. Call us for a no-cost, confidential conversation at (425) 474-2714.

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Redmond Wrongful Death Guide

• Why Redmond Residents Trust Narwal Injury Law
• What Financial Compensation Is Available in a Washington Wrongful Death Claim?
• Where Do Fatal Accidents Happen in Redmond?
• The Legal Framework of a Wrongful Death Claim
• What to Expect from the At-Fault Party’s Insurance Company
• Steps You Can Take at Home to Protect Your Family’s Claim
• Frequently Asked Questions for a Redmond Wrongful Death Lawyer
• Don’t Let Financial Anxiety Define Your Future

Why Redmond Residents Trust Narwal Injury Law

Gurjot Narwal, Redmond Wrongful Death Lawyer

When a family loses someone, their energy should be spent on grieving and rebuilding, not on deciphering legal documents or arguing with insurance adjusters. Our purpose is to lift that burden from your shoulders. We manage every part of the legal claim, giving you the space you need.

A Unique Perspective on Washington Law

Our founder, Gurj Narwal, brings over a decade of courtroom experience to every case. His background is not typical. Before founding Narwal Injury Law, he served as an Assistant State Attorney General and an Assistant Seattle City Attorney.

This experience gives us an insider’s understanding of how government agencies and large corporations approach these claims. We know the procedures they follow, the arguments they will likely make, and how to build a case that counters their strategies.

Our Focus Is on Injury & Wrongful Death Claims

Our firm is dedicated to helping individuals and families harmed by another’s negligence. We concentrate on cases arising from car accidents, medical mistakes, and unsafe properties. This focus allows us to maintain a deep, current understanding of the specific laws and evidence these claims require.

Our Commitment to You

• A Direct Line of Communication: You will work directly with our legal team. We make sure your questions get answered and you are always informed about your case’s progress.
• No Win, No Fee Guarantee: We work on a contingency fee basis. Simply put, we only receive a fee if we successfully recover compensation for you. You pay nothing upfront to start your case.
• Free, No-Obligation Case Review: We offer a free initial conversation to help you understand your legal options without any pressure or commitment.

Our Redmond Office

Our office is located at 7981 168th Avenue NE, Suite 110, Redmond, WA 98052, just a few blocks north of the Redmond Downtown Park. This central location is easily accessible for families throughout Redmond and the surrounding communities.

What Financial Compensation Is Available in a Washington Wrongful Death Claim?

A wrongful death claim aims to provide financial stability by compensating the family for the full spectrum of losses caused by their loved one’s death. Washington law allows for the recovery of specific types of damages, which we separate into two main categories.

Economic Damages: The Tangible Financial Losses

This is compensation for the direct, measurable financial impact on your family. It covers:

• Lost Income and Future Earnings: The wages, benefits, and retirement contributions your loved one would have earned over their working life.
• Medical Bills: Any medical expenses from the time of the final injury until their death.
• Funeral and Burial Expenses: The reasonable costs for a funeral, cremation, or burial service.
• Loss of Inheritance: The net amount the deceased would have likely saved and left to their heirs.
• Loss of Services: The monetary value of tasks the deceased handled, such as childcare, home repairs, cooking, or managing family finances.

Non-Economic Damages: The Personal and Emotional Toll

These damages acknowledge the deep, personal losses that do not have a simple price tag but are just as real.

• Loss of Companionship, Consortium, and Love: For the loss of the relationship itself—the affection, guidance, and emotional support that is now gone.
• Grief and Emotional Distress: For the sorrow, mental anguish, and emotional hardship the surviving family members endure.

What Is a “Survival Action” and How Is It Different?

Washington law also permits a separate but related claim called a “survival action.” This is a claim made on behalf of the deceased person’s estate, not the family members directly.

Here’s the difference:

• A wrongful death claim compensates the family for their losses (lost income, lost companionship, etc.).
• A survival action compensates the estate for the conscious pain and suffering the deceased person experienced from the moment of injury until their death.

Simply put, this action allows the claim for the deceased’s suffering to “survive” their death. If your loved one was aware of their injuries and experienced fear or pain before they passed, we would pursue a survival claim alongside the wrongful death claim.

How Might “Shared Fault” Affect Compensation?

Washington uses a legal rule called “pure comparative fault.” This means if your loved one is found to be partially responsible for the incident, the total compensation award is reduced by their percentage of fault.

Insurance companies will conduct a thorough investigation, looking for any evidence to argue the deceased was at fault. Our role is to build a fact-based narrative of what actually happened to ensure no blame is unjustly shifted to your loved one.

Where Do Fatal Accidents Happen in Redmond?

While a fatal incident could happen anywhere, certain locations in and around Redmond present higher risks because of traffic volume, speed, or confusing layouts. As a firm that works here, we see cases that arise from a few specific areas.

Major Redmond Intersections and Roadways:

• SR 520 and Avondale Road NE: The on-ramps and off-ramps connecting State Route 520 to local Redmond roads are hubs of high-speed traffic, which increases the potential for severe collisions.
• Redmond Way & 164th Ave NE: As a main corridor through downtown Redmond, this area is dense with commercial vehicles, commuters, and pedestrian traffic.
• Union Hill Road: This road has winding sections and elevation changes that may become hazardous during the rainy or icy weather common to the Pacific Northwest.

Local Contributing Factors:

• Weather Conditions: Redmond’s frequent rain and occasional ice can slash visibility and increase the distance cars need to stop, turning a small driving error into a major accident.
• Commuter Traffic: As a major employment center for companies like Microsoft, Redmond sees a surge of commuter traffic during peak hours. This congestion makes rear-end collisions and intersection accidents more likely.
• Pedestrian and Cyclist Activity: Redmond’s vibrant downtown and trail networks, like the Sammamish River Trail, mean that pedestrians and cyclists are everywhere. While this is a benefit to the community, the mix of bikes, walkers, and vehicles requires constant awareness. According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, pedestrian fatalities have remained a persistent problem across the state.

The Legal Framework of a Wrongful Death Claim

Who Is Eligible to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Washington?

Washington’s wrongful death statute, RCW 4.20.010, establishes a priority system for which family members can benefit from a claim.

• First Tier Beneficiaries: The spouse, registered domestic partner, and children (including stepchildren) of the deceased have the primary right.
• Second Tier Beneficiaries: If the deceased has no spouse or children, the claim may then be brought for the benefit of their parents or siblings.

A person known as the personal representative of the deceased’s estate is the one who legally files the lawsuit on behalf of these family members. We can help your family with the process of getting a personal representative appointed by the court.

What Do You Have to Prove in a Wrongful Death Case?

To have a successful claim, we must prove four things:

1. Duty of Care: The person or entity at fault had a legal responsibility to act with reasonable care. For example, a driver has a duty to obey traffic laws.
2. Breach of Duty: They failed to meet that responsibility. This can be a negligent act (running a red light) or an intentional one.
3. Causation: This failure was the direct cause of your loved one’s death.
4. Damages: The death resulted in measurable damages for the family, from financial losses to emotional suffering.

How We Prove Negligence: Building Your Case

Our investigative process is thorough and designed to build an undeniable, fact-based account of what happened.

Here’s how we gather the necessary proof:

• Securing Official Records: We immediately obtain police reports, paramedic logs, 911 call transcripts, and reports from any other responding agencies. These documents provide the initial official narrative.
• Interviewing Witnesses: Eyewitness testimony can be powerful. We locate and interview anyone who saw the incident, securing their statements while memories are still fresh.
• Working with Experts: For many cases, expert analysis is required. We may hire:
  • Accident Reconstructionists to recreate the events of a car crash to determine speed, braking distances, and angles of impact.
  • Medical Experts to review medical records and explain how an error in treatment led to death, or to detail the pain and suffering your loved one experienced.
  • Economic Experts to calculate the full lifetime financial loss, including projected earnings, lost benefits, and inflation.
• Gathering Physical and Digital Evidence: We may subpoena cell phone records to check for distracted driving, access a truck’s “black box” data recorder, or obtain surveillance footage from nearby businesses that captured the incident.

The Deadline: Washington’s Statute of Limitations

In most situations, a wrongful death lawsuit in Washington must be filed within three years of the date of death, a deadline established by RCW 4.16.080.

Three years might sound like a long time, but building a strong claim requires time. Evidence disappears, witnesses move, and memories fade quickly. If this deadline passes, your family will be permanently barred from filing a claim and seeking compensation.

Note: There are limited exceptions that might shorten or extend this period, especially when a government employee or agency is at fault. It is best to have an attorney review the specific facts of your case as soon as you can.

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What to Expect from the At-Fault Party’s Insurance Company

Soon after your loved one’s death, an insurance adjuster representing the at-fault party will likely contact you. You must understand their role in this process.

Insurance companies are businesses with a responsibility to their shareholders. This means there is a fundamental conflict of interest: every dollar they can avoid paying out to you is more profit on their balance sheet.

Our role is to manage all these communications for you. We provide the insurance company with the information needed to properly evaluate your claim, while shielding your family from tactics designed to weaken your position.

Here’s What to Look Out For:

• Requests for a Recorded Statement: The adjuster may ask for a recorded statement about the accident and your loss. You are not required to provide one. These conversations are designed to get you on record, and any inconsistencies or statements could be used to assign fault to your loved one or minimize your family’s damages. Instead of giving a statement, refer them to our office.
• A Quick Settlement Offer: An insurer might make an early offer to settle. This can seem helpful, but these initial offers are almost always made before the full financial impact of your loss has been calculated. If you accept an early offer, you forfeit your right to seek further compensation. Don’t sign anything or accept an offer without having it reviewed by an attorney who understands the true, long-term value of your claim.
• Requests for Broad Authorizations: They might ask you to sign forms that give them sweeping access to your loved one’s entire medical history or your family’s financial records. This is sometimes an attempt to find a pre-existing condition or other information they can use to argue their insured’s actions did not cause the death. We will manage these requests and release only the information that is directly relevant to your claim.

Steps You Can Take at Home to Protect Your Family’s Claim

While we manage the legal work, there are several things you can do to help strengthen the foundation of your family’s wrongful death claim.

• Gather Important Documents: Collect any documents you can find, such as the death certificate, the official police or accident report, your loved one’s will, and any medical bills from the final injury.
• Keep a Record of Expenses: Create a file for all receipts related to the death, from funeral and burial costs to therapy or counseling services for your family. Every expense is part of the potential damages.
• Jot Down Your Loved One’s Contributions: Make notes about the different ways your loved one supported the family, both financially and personally. This could include their income, help with household chores and repairs, childcare, or advice and guidance. These details help demonstrate the full scope of your loss.
• Stay Off Social Media: Do not post about the accident, your emotional state, or your case on any social media platforms. Insurance company lawyers routinely check social media for any photos, comments, or posts that could be misinterpreted or used to argue against your claim.
• Direct All Inquiries to Your Lawyer: If the at-fault party, their insurer, or their lawyers contact you, you do not have to speak with them. Politely tell them to contact our office.

Frequently Asked Questions for a Redmond Wrongful Death Lawyer

What if the at-fault person also died in the accident?

In that situation, you can still file a claim against the deceased person’s estate. The compensation would be paid from their auto or liability insurance policy.

What if my loved one died in a work-related accident in Redmond?

Your family may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation death benefits from the state. In some situations, you might also have a third-party wrongful death claim against someone other than the employer, such as the manufacturer of a faulty piece of equipment that caused the accident.

How long will it take to resolve a wrongful death case?

The timeline can vary quite a bit. Simpler cases might settle within several months, while those involving complicated evidence, multiple at-fault parties, or disputes over liability may take a year or longer to resolve, particularly if a lawsuit is necessary.

Does our family have to go to court?

Most wrongful death cases settle out of court. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial, which puts us in a strong negotiating position. If the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we will be fully prepared to present your case to a jury.

Don’t Let Financial Anxiety Define Your Future

You may be hesitant to contact a lawyer, worried that it will be expensive or that a legal claim is too confrontational. That’s not how it works here.

You pay nothing unless we win your case. And our job is to handle the confrontation for you so you can focus on what matters most. The insurance companies have teams of professionals skilled at minimizing their financial liabilities; you deserve someone fighting for your rights just as vigorously.

Our commitment is simple: We will calmly and professionally manage the process to hold the responsible party accountable and pursue the maximum compensation the law allows for your family.

For a clear, no-cost explanation of your legal options, call a Redmond personal injury lawyer from Narwal Injury Law today at (425) 474-2714.

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