Las Vegas Wrongful Death Attorney

Words can never truly describe the devastation families experience after the sudden death of a loved one, especially if someone else’s negligence caused it. Preventable deaths can happen in Las Vegas due to a host of causes, including distracted drivers, defective products, and irresponsible property owners, to name just a few.

In the aftermath of a tragic death, it’s common for families to feel overwhelmed with grief while simultaneously struggling with major financial challenges. Although taking legal action cannot undo the loss that they’ve suffered, pursuing a wrongful death claim can provide them with a degree of justice and some critical financial support to help them through a trying time.

If you lost a family member to a preventable accident in Las Vegas, connect with a Las Vegas wrongful death lawyer that has the skills and resources to pursue justice and compensation on your behalf. At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we’ve been fighting for accident victims and grieving families in the broader Las Vegas community for over 40 years. Contact us to learn how we can help you.

Las Vegas Wrongful Death Guide

Skilled, Compassionate Wrongful Death Lawyers in Las Vegas

Pursuing any personal injury lawsuit is always a serious and complicated undertaking, but the stakes are never higher than when seeking compensation for wrongful death.

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, our goal is to navigate the legal system on behalf of Las Vegas families facing some of the most challenging and stressful moments of their lives. Our clients in wrongful death cases often struggle with the idea of placing a monetary value on the life of someone they lost.

Our compassionate team understands that challenge and strives to secure the money spouses and families in mourning need to pay expenses and rebuild from loss. We have extensive experience handling wrongful death cases and know how to protect you and your loved ones from the strategies insurance companies and defense lawyers deploy in resisting claims.

What Constitutes a Wrongful Death Under Nevada Law?

Nevada law defines wrongful death as any death directly caused by the reckless or negligent behavior of another, whether intentional or not. Wrongful death can happen instantly during the incident itself or at a later time when the victim passes away from the injuries they sustained. While it’s possible for a wrongful death to result from illegal or criminal actions, this is not required in order to pursue a wrongful death damages claim.

A wrongful death lawsuit is a legal claim seeking financial damages from the party or parties who caused a wrongful death. In Nevada, this form of legal action typically consists of two separate, but related components—claims on behalf of the deceased victim’s surviving heirs, and claims on behalf of the deceased victim’s estate (sometimes referred to as a survival action).

Heirs may claim compensation for:

  • Loss of the victim’s earnings and financial support
  • Loss of the victim’s companionship, society, guidance, or consortium
  • A surviving spouse’s or family member’s grief or sorrow
  • The victim’s pain and suffering prior to death

The victim’s estate may claim payment for:

  • Medical and other expenses related to injuries that led to death
  • Any other damages claim the victim could have pursued had the victim not died
  • Funeral and burial expenses

In Nevada, only the victim’s heirs (typically a spouse, domestic partner, child, or other dependent) or a representative of the deceased person’s estate can file a claim for wrongful death. In some cases, the victim’s parents, siblings, or grandparents may have the legal right to pursue a wrongful death claim.

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we have years of experience representing grieving heirs and legal estates in wrongful death lawsuits. Contact us today to learn about how we might help you after your loved one dies in a Las Vegas accident.

Examples of Wrongful Death Cases We Can Handle

Las Vegas Wrongful Death Attorneys

A wrongful death can occur in Las Vegas in a virtually unlimited number of ways. However, at Edward Bernstein and Associates, we find that most wrongful death cases we handle fall into one of just a handful of categories. Our team routinely represents clients in wrongful death cases arising out of the following scenarios.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

According to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) crash data, motor vehicle accidents caused the deaths of at least 253 individuals in Las Vegas over a recent five year period. Vehicle passengers and pedestrians accounted for most of those fatalities.

Las Vegas traffic accidents regularly result from the wrongful actions of someone other than the victim who dies. Common contributing factors in fatal Las Vegas crashes include failures to yield a right of way at an intersection, driver impairment, speeding, driver distraction, and dangerous lane departures.

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we have extensive experience handling motor vehicle accident matters, and we fight to make sure families of deceased victims receive fair compensation for their loss.

Premises Liability Accidents

Las Vegas property owners and occupants owe a duty to ensure the safety of anyone who visits their premises. But unreasonably dangerous conditions at residential, commercial, and public properties throughout Las Vegas regularly lead to the deaths of innocent victims.

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we can pursue wrongful death damages on behalf of victims who died after suffering injuries from, for example:

  • Falls onto hard surfaces or from high heights
  • Construction site accidents such as being crushed by heavy machinery or struck by a falling object
  • Fires due to faulty wiring, flammable materials, or gas leaks
  • Acute or long-term exposures to toxic chemicals or materials like asbestos
  • Drownings in swimming pools
  • Violent crime such as mass shootings or assaults

Our team has the knowhow and resources to hold even the most powerful Las Vegas property owners accountable for failing to keep visitors safe. Contact us today to learn more.

Defective Products

We should be able to trust that the products we use every day at home, school, and work will function as intended and not put us in danger. But sadly, products containing flaws because of their designs, manufacturing processes, or lack of warning labels regularly cause fatal injuries to innocent users.

Wrongful deaths can result from defects in items as varied as:

  • Automotive parts
  • Over the counter and prescription medications
  • Toys
  • Food
  • Home appliances
  • Building materials
  • Medical devices
  • Work equipment
  • Safety gear

These are just a few examples. At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we advocate aggressively on behalf of victims of defective products, and hold manufacturers strictly liable under Nevada law when defective goods cause a tragic, preventable death.

How We Can Help in Las Vegas Wrongful Death Cases

Whether you’ve lost someone because of a negligent truck driver, dangerous property condition, or defective product, the Edward Bernstein and Associates team can help you understand your legal options for demanding justice and fair compensation. Nothing can take away the pain of your loved one’s untimely death, but the legal process can play a role in helping your family have more security for the future.

Wrongful death lawsuits can be complex, especially when a case involves a business or insurance company with lots of resources to spend on its legal defense. At-fault parties and their representatives use aggressive tactics to deny liability or pay claimants as little as possible.

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, our team of wrongful death attorneys is passionate about supporting our clients during every step of the claims process. We aim to give you the peace of mind that your legal rights are protected, so that you can focus on healing and rebuilding from your loss.

Every wrongful death case we handle is as unique as the life that was lost through someone’s wrongful actions.

We possess the full range of skills necessary to pursue the strongest possible case on our clients’ behalf, which may include:

  • Acting quickly to preserve our client’s rights by collecting evidence or appearing in court on their behalf
  • Investigating the circumstances of a wrongful death, with the help of medical or forensic experts when necessary
  • Serving as our client’s representative in dealing with the media or official investigators
  • Handling all communications with insurance companies on our client’s behalf, so that they do not need to answer calls from aggressive adjusters
  • Analyzing the full extent of our client’s economic and non-economic damages, to ensure that any action we take seeks maximum compensation
  • Filing strong, well-documented lawsuit and insurance claims in our clients’ name
  • Negotiating with insurance companies and defense lawyers to achieve a fair settlement of our client’s claim
  • Going to trial in a Las Vegas courtroom to prove our client’s case to a judge and jury
  • Collecting funds due to our clients from a settlement, judgment, or jury verdict

At Edward Bernstein and Associates, we also understand that the death of your loved one may have put you under financial strain. That’s why we try to make it as easy and affordable as possible for you to connect with us.

We offer a free consultation to anyone in Las Vegas who wants to learn about their rights after the tragic loss of a loved one in a preventable accident. In a consultation, a knowledgeable member of our team can answer your questions and explain your options. You will never owe us a penny for that meeting, even if you choose not to hire us to handle your wrongful death case.

We also regularly represent our clients in wrongful death cases on a contingent fee basis, which means our fee consists only of a percentage of the money we succeed in recovering on our clients’ behalf. We don’t charge upfront or by the hour for our work. We only get paid if our clients get paid.

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Two Key Considerations After a Tragic Death in Las Vegas

It’s common to feel overwhelmed in the aftermath of the untimely death of your loved one. But it’s also important to remember that the actions you take during that time can affect your legal rights. That is why we strongly urge you to connect with Edward Bernstein and Associates today for a free consultation. The knowledge you can gain in a conversation with one of our knowledgeable, compassionate legal professionals can help keep your interests protected.

In the meantime, you may also want to take these two key considerations into account.

You Cannot Trust Insurance Companies to Treat You Fairly

Multiple insurance companies may have an obligation to pay for your losses after your loved one’s accidental death in Las Vegas. Your loved one may have carried life insurance for example. The at-fault party’s liability insurance likely covers at least some of your losses as well. And if your loved one died at work, workers’ compensation insurance may owe you benefits.

But just because insurance companies have an obligation to cover your losses does not mean they will do so. Sadly, they will often instead try their best to avoid paying what they owe. Insurers facing a large wrongful death liability may try to pin blame for an accident on your deceased loved one, for instance. Or, they may directly offer you a quick settlement that falls far short of the amount you have the right to receive.

Do not trust any insurance company to do right by you in the wake of your loved one’s death. Instead, leave interactions with any insurer to a skilled attorney who represents your interests and knows how to protect you from the tactics insurers use to try to avoid paying what they owe.

You Don’t Have Any Time to Lose

In Nevada, you have at-most two years from the date of your loved one’s death to take legal action seeking compensation. And you might have just a few months. If you miss a legal deadline, you could lose your rights to compensation.

Speaking with an experienced Las Vegas personal injury lawyer immediately protects you from making a costly mistake. It also puts you in the best position possible to navigate official investigations, avoid the stress of dealing with insurance companies, and secure critical evidence to prove your case.

Headshot of Ed Bernstein from Ed Bernstein and Associates
Las Vegas Wrongful Death Lawyer, Ed Bernstein

Nothing can replace the loss of your loved one in a Las Vegas accident. But by pursuing a wrongful death claim, you may get critical financial support to assist you in managing your expenses and rebuilding from your tragic loss.

Edward Bernstein and Associates wants to help. We have decades of experience advocating on behalf of grieving families like yours. Contact us today at (702) 840-5103 for a free consultation about your rights and options.