Seattle Wrongful Death Lawyers

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.

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.

Call Metier Law Firm at 866-377-3800 or schedule your free consultation today at www.metierlaw.com‍

‍

What Is Wrongful Death Under Washington Law?

Under RCW 4.20.010, when a person dies because of another party's wrongful act, neglect, or default, the deceased person's personal representative has the right to bring a civil claim. Surviving family members are the beneficiaries of that claim under RCW 4.20.020, but they don't file it themselves. 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 survival actions alongside a wrongful death claim. Under RCW 4.20.046, the personal representative recovers the deceased person's economic losses, such as medical expenses, on behalf of the estate. Damages for the pain and suffering, anxiety, emotional distress, or humiliation the deceased personally experienced are recovered on behalf of the family members listed in RCW 4.20.020, not the estate. RCW 4.20.060 separately keeps a personal injury claim alive when that injury caused the death, and the personal representative brings it for the same family members. These 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 4.20.010, only the personal representative of the deceased person's estate can file a wrongful death lawsuit, and a Washington superior court appoints that person through the probate process. RCW 4.20.020 lists who the claim benefits: the surviving spouse or state registered domestic partner, children, and stepchildren.

If there's no surviving spouse, state registered domestic partner, child, or stepchild, the claim may be brought for the benefit of the deceased person's parents or siblings. They don't have to prove they were financially dependent on the deceased or living in the United States. The Legislature removed those requirements in 2019.

A parent or legal guardian can also bring a separate claim for a child's death under RCW 4.24.010 if they regularly supported a minor child or had significant involvement in an adult child's life, as long as the child left no spouse, state registered domestic partner, or children.

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.

Call Metier Law Firm at 866-377-3800 or schedule your free consultation today at www.metierlaw.com‍

‍

Compensation Available in Seattle Wrongful Death Claims

Washington wrongful death damages aren't capped. The Washington Supreme Court struck down the Legislature's cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases in Sofie v. Fibreboard Corp. (1989). Washington follows a pure comparative fault rule under RCW 4.22.005: if the deceased was partially at fault, damages are reduced by that percentage. RCW 4.22.020 applies the deceased's share of fault to the family's wrongful death claim. Fault alone doesn't bar the claim, but two statutes create complete defenses. Under RCW 5.40.060, a claim is barred if the deceased was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, that condition was a proximate cause of the death, and the deceased was more than 50 percent at fault. That defense doesn't apply in a case against an impaired driver whose impairment was a proximate cause of the death, as long as the deceased's impairment wasn't a proximate cause of the crash itself. Under RCW 4.24.420, a claim is barred if the deceased was committing a felony that was a proximate cause of the death. 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(2). The clock starts on the date of death, even if a personal representative hasn't been appointed yet, and a beneficiary's age doesn't pause it, because the personal representative is the one who files. If that deadline passes, the courts will dismiss the case, no matter how strong the evidence. One exception is the discovery rule: when the cause of death wasn't immediately known, the clock starts when the personal representative discovered, or should have discovered, the cause of action, under White v. Johns-Manville Corp. (1985). Wrongful death claims based on medical negligence follow a different deadline under RCW 4.16.350. 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.

Call Metier Law Firm at 866-377-3800 or schedule your free consultation today at www.metierlaw.com‍

‍

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.

Explore Related Wrongful Death Topics

• Why Retaining a Wrongful Death Attorney is Essential
• Addressing Key Challenges in Wrongful Death Claims
• Colorado Motorcycle Wrongful Death Claims: Your Legal Rights‍