A wrongful death case involving a high profile actor is set to gain major focus next month when the actor will make a sworn deposition.
The actor’s deposition relates to a wrongful death suit brought against him by the former husband of the actor’s girlfriend, who took her own life after overdosing on a lethal dose of prescription drugs. The former husband alleges the drugs were supplied by the actor, and therefore played a major role in the 30-year-old’s death.
The actor has denied any wrongdoing in the death, and has referred to the wrongful death action against him as a “terrible shame”.
Circumstances of Wrongful Death
For a wrongful death claim to be successful, the court must find that the person alleged to be behind a wrongful death acted negligently or wrongfully towards another, and contributed to their death as a result. A wrongful death claim is a civil suit, which means it is brought about by entities besides the state, such as the deceased person’s surviving family members.
This means that the family bringing a wrongful death claim are only able to claim money for reasons such as to cover loss of financial support, funeral expenses, medical bills and the like. A defendant cannot be jailed or imprisoned as a direct result of a wrongful death claim against them.
When a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Can Be Filed
In California, there is a statute of limitations that applies to bringing wrongful death claims to a civil court. A wrongful death claim must be brought to a court within two years of the death of the person at the centre of the claim. The two-year limitation period means that it is highly unlikely that family members of a deceased person will be able to file after the statute of limitations passes.
The attorneys at Redkey Gordon Law Corp have over 25 years of combined experience in the area of personal injury, which includes cases of wrongful death. Throughout that time, Redkey Gordon has guided many clients through wrongful death claims with compassion and sympathy while maintaining the utmost professional integrity expected of a law firm.
If you believe your loved one may have passed away as a result of the negligence of someone else, we invite you to call Redkey Gordon at (209) 267-1685 today to arrange a free initial consultation.