Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyers

Metier Law Firm: Fighting for Seattle Families After Wrongful Death

Families who come to us have already suffered the worst. What they need is a legal team that will fight without hesitation against well-funded opponents. Our record reflects that commitment:

• $1.7 Million+: Over $1.7 million settlement for a wrongful death claim.
• $6 Million settlement: Achieved in a wrongful death claim, providing meaningful financial relief to a surviving family.
• $17 Million settlement: Recovered in an insurance bad faith case, demonstrating our willingness to hold insurers accountable when they refuse to pay legitimate claims.
• $40 Million verdict: Won against a major automaker in a product liability case involving a spinal cord injury.
• $52 Million verdict: Secured on behalf of a car accident victim, one of the largest personal injury verdicts in firm history.

These results were built through preparation, relentless investigation, and trial-ready representation. When insurers understand that Metier Law Firm will not settle for less than what a family deserves, negotiations shift. When they refuse to be reasonable, we go to trial.

What Is Wrongful Death Under Washington Law?

RCW 4.20.010 gives surviving family members the right to bring a civil claim when a person dies due to the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another party. No criminal conviction is required. The standard in civil court is a preponderance of the evidence — more likely than not that the defendant's conduct caused the death.

Washington also recognizes a survival action alongside a wrongful death claim. A survival action allows the estate to recover damages the deceased suffered between injury and death: physical pain, lost earnings, and medical costs during that period. Both claims can proceed simultaneously, and which applies depends on the specific facts, an analysis that begins in our first conversation with your family.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Seattle?

Under RCW 4.20.020, the personal representative of the deceased person's estate files the lawsuit on behalf of surviving beneficiaries, following appointment through the King County Superior Court probate process. Beneficiaries include the surviving spouse or domestic partner, children, and stepchildren. 

When none of those exist, parents or siblings who were financially dependent on the deceased may qualify. Washington courts apply heightened protections when a beneficiary is a minor child, shaping how damages are calculated and distributed.

Common Causes of Wrongful Death in Washington State

Fatal accidents happen across Seattle every year. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, traffic fatalities remain a persistent public safety concern across the state. Seattle's highest-risk corridors include Interstate 5 through downtown, State Route 99 near the Battery Street Tunnel, and Aurora Avenue North, which has one of the city's highest pedestrian fatality rates. Common causes our attorneys handle include:

• Motor vehicle accidents: Speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving all contribute to fatal collisions on Seattle-area roads and highways.
• Truck accidents: Driver fatigue, improper loading, and maintenance failures are common factors in fatal commercial truck crashes along I-5 and the US-2 corridor.
• Motorcycle accidents: Motorcyclists face serious danger from drivers who fail to yield. Fatal crashes often involve left-turn collisions or rear-end impacts at speed.
• Premises liability: Property owners have a legal duty to maintain safe conditions. Fatal falls, drownings, and structural failures can all give rise to wrongful death claims.
• Medical malpractice: When a provider at Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center, or another Seattle-area facility deviates from the standard of care, and a patient dies, surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim.
• Workplace accidents: Industrial and construction fatalities can trigger third-party liability claims that extend beyond workers' compensation coverage.

Compensation Available in Seattle Wrongful Death Claims

Washington law does not cap damages in most wrongful death cases. Washington follows a pure comparative fault rule: if the deceased was partially at fault, damages are reduced by that percentage, but the claim is not barred. Defendants and their insurers routinely attempt to shift blame onto the deceased to lower their exposure. Our attorneys investigate those claims aggressively and push back against any effort to undervalue what your family is owed.

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover the measurable financial losses caused by the death. These typically include:

• Funeral and burial expenses: Reasonable costs associated with laying the loved one to rest.
• Lost income and benefits: Wages and employer-provided benefits the deceased would have earned over their expected working life.
• Loss of financial support: Financial contributions the deceased regularly made to surviving dependents.
• Medical expenses: Emergency and hospital costs incurred between the incident and the time of death.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages cover the human losses no bill can measure. These include:

• Loss of companionship: The emotional relationship a surviving spouse, partner, or child has lost.
• Loss of parental guidance: The mentorship and support children will be without throughout their lives.
• Grief and mental anguish: The emotional suffering endured by surviving family members following the loss.

How Long Do You Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Seattle?

Washington imposes a three-year statute of limitations on wrongful death claims. Under RCW 4.16.080, the clock generally starts on the date of death. If that deadline passes, the courts will dismiss the case, no matter how strong the evidence. Limited exceptions exist for claims involving minors or where the cause of death was not immediately known, but no family should count on an exception without speaking to an attorney first.

How long a case takes to resolve depends on its complexity, the number of liable parties, the availability of evidence, and whether it settles or goes to trial. Truck accident cases on I-5 often involve the driver, the carrier, a cargo company, and a vehicle manufacturer, each with separate legal teams and insurers. Multi-party cases take longer, and the investigation has to begin early.

Evidence disappears fast. Surveillance footage is overwritten within days. Black box data requires immediate legal preservation. Witness accounts grow less reliable over time.

How Our Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyers Build Your Case

Every case begins the same way: we listen. Before strategy or paperwork, we sit with the family, understand what happened, and learn who their loved one was. That foundation shapes everything.

• Immediate evidence preservation: We send spoliation letters, demand black box and electronic logging device data from commercial carriers, and secure surveillance footage before it is deleted.
• Expert coordination: We retain accident reconstructionists, medical professionals, economists, and vocational specialists to establish full liability and damages for King County juries and Washington State courts.
• Specialized trucking and motorcycle knowledge: Managing Partner Mike Chaloupka holds a Class A Commercial Driver's License. Founding Partner Tom Metier is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, one of the very few attorneys in Washington to hold both certifications. Partner Phil Chupik also completed professional truck driver training. When a fatal crash involves a commercial vehicle, we understand federal safety regulations and carrier liability from the inside.
• Bad faith litigation: When insurers deny or undervalue a legitimate wrongful death claim, we pursue bad faith litigation to force full accountability.
• Trial preparation from day one: We prepare every King County jury case from the moment we open the file. That posture consistently produces better outcomes, whether the case settles or goes to a verdict.

When you contact us, you will receive a free consultation with no obligation. Our team takes over all communications, negotiations, and case management from day one so your family can focus on healing.

Contact a Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyer at Metier Law Firm Today

Your family has already endured what no family should have to face. The decisions made in the weeks ahead will determine whether the responsible party is held accountable and whether your family has the financial support needed to move forward. Do not make those decisions without experienced legal counsel on your side.

Metier Law Firm handles wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there is no cost unless we recover compensation for your family. Call our Seattle wrongful death lawyer team at (866) 377-3800 today for a free consultation. We are ready to fight for your family from day one.