Wrongful Death
After a fatal accident, a family is grieving while insurers and deadlines move forward without them. We represent families in wrongful-death and survival claims across Washington, handling the legal side, including the estate coordination these cases require, so the people left behind can focus on each other.
Talk to an attorneyFounded
1965
Attorneys
11
AV-rated
Martindale-Hubbell
Office
Bellevue, WA
Founded
1965
Attorneys
4
AV-rated
Martindale-Hubbell
Office
Bellevue, WA
Wrongful death attorneys for Bellevue and Seattle families
Oseran Hahn represents families after a death caused by someone else's negligence: a fatal crash, a workplace accident, a preventable medical or premises failure. Washington gives the family two distinct claims, one for their own losses and one for what the person who died endured, and both run through the estate. We coordinate the probate side, identify the beneficiaries the statute recognizes, and build the claim the way these cases demand. We work on contingency, and the first conversation is free and unhurried.
A wrongful-death case carries a family's grief and a set of strict legal rules at the same time, and our job is to carry the second so the family can carry the first. We identify who under Washington law may bring the claim and who it benefits; we separate the two claims a death creates, the wrongful-death claim for the family and the survival claim for the decedent's own losses; we measure the full range of what the family lost; we handle the probate and personal-representative steps these claims require; and we prove fault and protect the case from the deadline that can end it.
Who may bring the claim, and for whom
Washington's wrongful-death statute, RCW 4.20.010, gives the claim to the estate's personal representative, who brings it on behalf of the statutory beneficiaries. RCW 4.20.020 sets the order: a spouse or registered domestic partner and the children come first, and if there are none, the deceased person's parents and siblings. A 2019 amendment broadened that second tier by removing the old requirement that parents and siblings be financially dependent or living in the United States. We sort out standing and beneficiaries early, because the answer shapes the entire case.
Two claims arise from a death
A single death usually creates two separate claims. The wrongful-death claim, under RCW 4.20.010, compensates the beneficiaries for their own losses. The survival claim, under the survival statutes RCW 4.20.046 and 4.20.060, carries forward the claim the person who died would have had, including their medical expenses, lost earnings, and the pain endured before death. The two claims have different beneficiaries and different damages, and treating them as one shortchanges the family. We bring both and keep them straight.
What the family can recover
The beneficiaries' damages reach past funeral bills and lost income. Washington recognizes the loss of the support, services, companionship, and the love and guidance the person provided, which in many cases is the largest part of the claim. The survival side adds the decedent's own pre-death losses. Washington places no cap on these noneconomic damages; in Sofie v. Fibreboard Corp., 112 Wn.2d 636 (1989), the Supreme Court struck the statutory limit down. We document the full human and financial loss rather than letting an insurer reduce it to a payout chart.
When the person who died was a child
The loss of a child has its own rule. Under RCW 4.24.010, a parent who has regularly contributed to the support of a child, or who provided care, may bring a claim for the child's injury or death, including for the loss of the child's love and companionship. These cases are painful and factually careful, and we handle them with the dignity they require while still building the claim properly.
Proving fault, opening the estate, and the deadline
A wrongful-death claim still has to prove that someone's negligence caused the death, and we do that with the investigation, records, and experts the case calls for. Because the claim runs through the estate, part of the early work is opening a probate and getting a personal representative appointed so there is someone with authority to sue. The deadline is generally three years under RCW 4.16.080, and claims against a government entity carry shorter notice requirements, so the estate and the claim should be set in motion before the law forecloses them.
Insurers keep track of which firms prepare a file like it's headed to a jury and which ones take the first offer. We're in the first group, and it changes what your claim is worth.
You pay nothing unless we recover.
We handle injury cases on a contingency fee. The consultation is free, we advance the costs of building the case, and our fee comes out of the recovery, not your pocket. If there's no recovery, you owe no attorney fee.
Built for trial, which is why most settle.
Every file is prepared as if a jury will see it: evidence preserved, experts lined up, damages documented. That preparation is exactly why the other side settles, and settles higher. The firm's trial group has been in Washington courtrooms for decades.
Senior attorneys, straight talk.
You work with experienced attorneys, not a rotating case manager, and you'll get an honest read on your claim, including when a case isn't worth bringing. Communication is steady and in plain language, so you always know where things stand.
The attorneys behindthe work.
Our business and corporate attorneys handle this work alongside our litigation team, so you have coverage whether your matter stays transactional or becomes something more.
What clientsask us first.
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Washington?
The claim is brought by the personal representative of the estate on behalf of the family. Under RCW 4.20.020, a spouse or domestic partner and children come first; if there are none, the parents and siblings may recover. We help the family open the estate and have a representative appointed so the claim can proceed.
What's the difference between a wrongful death claim and a survival claim?
They're two claims from one death. The wrongful-death claim compensates the family for their own losses, like lost support and companionship. The survival claim carries the claim the person who died would have had, including their medical bills, lost earnings, and pre-death pain. Washington allows both, and we bring both.
What can a family recover?
More than funeral costs and lost income. Families recover for the loss of support, services, companionship, and the guidance the person provided, which is often the heart of the case. Washington does not cap these damages. We document the full loss rather than accept an insurer's formula.
What does it cost, and do we have to open an estate?
Nothing up front. We handle wrongful-death cases on a contingency fee, advance the costs, and our fee comes only from a recovery. We also coordinate the probate side, opening the estate and getting a personal representative appointed, as part of the representation, so the family isn't managing two legal processes alone.
How long do we have to file?
Generally three years from the date of death under RCW 4.16.080, but claims against a government entity have shorter notice deadlines, and the estate has to be opened before the claim can be filed. Talking with us early lets us preserve evidence and handle the probate steps before any deadline becomes a problem.
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Oseran Hahn P.S. · 11225 SE 6th St, Suite 100 · Bellevue, WA 98004
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