Lo que hay que saber sobre las enfermedades preexistentes y la muerte por negligencia
Perder a un ser querido por la negligencia de otra persona es una experiencia devastadora. La carga emocional de tal pérdida se ve a menudo agravada por la tensión financiera y la incertidumbre. Estos tipos de casos de muerte por negligencia puede tener un profundo impacto en su vida: desde buscar justicia hasta garantizar la estabilidad financiera de su familia tras una pérdida importante.
Porque los casos de homicidio culposo pueden ser vale tantopuede enfrentarse a desafíos legales por parte de la persona responsable o de su compañía de seguros. Uno de estos desafíos que enfrentan las familias en California es ¿cómo afectan a su caso las enfermedades preexistentes del fallecido?
¿Qué se considera una enfermedad preexistente en las demandas por homicidio culposo?
En el contexto de reclamaciones por muerte por negligencia, a afección preexistente se refiere a cualquier problema de salud o diagnóstico médico que pudiera tener el fallecido antes del accidente que causó su muerte. Puede cubrir enfermedades crónicas como cardiopatías, diabeteso cáncerasí como lesiones anteriores o condiciones físicas como una historia de cirugías o problemas respiratorios.
El punto clave en los casos de homicidio culposo se reduce a si la afección preexistente contribuyó a la vulnerabilidad del fallecido o empeoraron los efectos del acto negligente que provocó su fallecimiento - en comparación con alguien que no padecía su enfermedad.
Sin embargo, es importante tener en cuenta que el hecho de que una persona padeciera una enfermedad preexistente no significa necesariamente que la persona negligente esté libre de responsabilidad.
La ley de California aún permite a las familias solicitar una indemnización si pueden demostrar que las acciones de la persona responsable contribuyeron significativamente a la muerte de su ser querido o la aceleraron - independientemente de las condiciones de salud del fallecido o de su estado de salud antes del siniestro.
¿Cómo puede afectar una enfermedad preexistente al resultado de una demanda por homicidio culposo?
Si bien las enfermedades preexistentes pueden complicar una demanda por homicidio culposo, esto no no debilitan automáticamente su caso. Incluso con los problemas de salud de su ser querido, el punto clave en su caso se reducirá a la medida en que las acciones negligentes de otra persona contribuyeron a la muerte.
En muchos de estos casos, los abogados defensores y las compañías de seguros pueden tratar de argumentar que la enfermedad preexistente de su ser querido fue la causa de la muerte. principal causa de muerte. Este es su intento de limitar su responsabilidad o reducir la cantidad de daños que usted recibe.
Según la ley de California, las reclamaciones por homicidio culposo siguen siendo válidas si el acto negligente exacerbó o aceleró el estado de salud de su ser querido de forma que le condujera a una muerte prematura.
Por ejemploSi su ser querido padecía del corazón y se vio envuelto en un accidente de coche mortalPor ejemplo, una compañía de seguros o un abogado defensor pueden argumentar que alguien que no padeciera la enfermedad cardiaca no habría fallecido en la misma situación. Incluso en estos casos, la conductor negligente puede todavía ser considerado responsable del fatal desenlace, con independencia de la afección preexistente. Esto podría ser cierto incluso si su ser querido muriera técnicamente por el estrés inesperado del accidente sobre su afección cardiaca.
En algunos casos, los tribunales de California pueden tener en cuenta las condiciones de salud preexistentes del fallecido a la hora de cálculo de los daños. Por ejemplo, el estado de salud preexistente de su ser querido podría afectar a su esperanza de vida y a sus aportaciones económicas a la familia. Sin embargo, un abogado de muerte por negligencia will work to demonstrate how the negligence worsened the situation and ensure that pre-existing health conditions aren’t used unfairly against your claim.
Can You Still File a Wrongful Death Claim if the Deceased Had Serious Health Issues?
Yes – you can still file a wrongful death claim if your loved one had serious health issues. In California, pre-existing conditions do not bar you from pursuing a demanda por homicidio culposo.
California state law recognizes that individuals must be taken “as they are” – meaning that if someone’s health was already compromised, the person responsible for harming them cannot use that fact as a defense to avoid liability. When someone chooses to act in negligent, reckless, or intentional ways, they must take full responsibility for the victims they create with their actions – they cannot choose a “perfect” victim. In legal terms, this is called the “eggshell plaintiff” rule.
Por ejemplo, if someone with a chronic illness such as diabetes dies in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, their pre-existing condition doesn’t change the fact that the driver’s actions directly caused or hastened their death. The crash still caused them to pass away.
En key challenge in wrongful death cases is proving the direct connection between the defendant’s negligent actions and your loved one’s death. An experienced abogado de muerte por negligencia can help you build a compelling case by gathering medical records, bringing up expert testimony, and presenting other evidence to show this direct connection.
Ultimately, the goal of a wrongful death lawsuit is to ensure that your family receives fair compensation for your loss, even in the face of complex medical histories.
How Insurance Companies May Use Pre-Existing Conditions Against You – And How to Fight Back
Insurance companies are known to try minimizing payouts in wrongful death claims by leveraging pre-existing conditions to their advantage. They may argue that your loved one’s health issues were the primary cause of death, not the defendant’s negligent actions.
By shifting the blame of the accident onto your loved one’s medical history, insurers aim to reduce the compensation they must pay you or even deny your claims altogether.
Some of the tactics used by insurance companies in these types of cases include:
- Blaming the pre-existing condition for the death – Insurers might claim that the deceased’s health was already fragile so the accident wasn’t the true cause of death.
- Downplaying the role of the defendant’s negligent actions – By focusing on your loved one’s health issues, an insurance company might try to argue that the defendant’s negligence only had a minor impact, or that death was inevitable regardless.
- Trying to reduce the damages you’re owed – Even if your claims of wrongful death are accepted, the insurer may attempt to lower the total compensation you receive by arguing that your loved one’s life expectancy or earning potential were already diminished because of their pre-existing condition.
You can fight back against these tactics by:
- Hiring an experienced wrongful death attorney – A skilled lawyer can build a strong case that shows how the defendant’s actions directamente contributed to or accelerated your loved one’s death, regardless of their health status. Your attorney will push back against the insurance company with evidence, witness statements, and expert testimony.
- Gathering comprehensive medical evidence – To prove that the negligence caused or hastened your loved one’s death, your attorney will gather detailed medical records and testimony from medical experts. These professionals can help establish a direct link between the defendant’s negligent actions and the ultimate outcome, showing that the pre-existing condition was not the sole cause of death.
- Challenging low settlement offers – If the insurance company offers a low settlement based on your loved one’s health issues, your lawyer can negotiate for a more just amount by presenting strong evidence of how certain negligent actions affected the outcome. If necessary, your attorney can take your case to court in front of a judge or jury to ensure that you get the full compensation your deserve.
A knowledgeable lawyer will be prepared for these tactics – they can help you effectively fight back against insurance companies and protect your family’s right to fair compensation.
What Damages Can Be Recovered in a Wrongful Death Case Involving Pre-Existing Conditions?
In a wrongful death case, even if your loved one had pre-existing conditions, you as their family are still entitled to seek compensation for a range of losses and damages.
California law allows surviving family members to recover both economic y daños no económicos to help them cope with the financial and emotional impacts of their loss. The existence of a pre-existing condition mayo influence the amount you ultimately receive, but it does no eliminate your legal right to seek justice and compensation.
Ultimately, California courts calculate the extensión to which the negligent act contributed to your loved one’s death. If they determine that the defendant’s actions directly caused or accelerated their death – or worsened their condition to such a degree – they can still be held fully responsible for the harm that they’ve caused.
By working with an experienced wrongful death attorney, you can ensure that your case totalmente accounts for both the emotional and economic losses caused by the wrongful death – regardless of your loved one’s prior health issues. Your lawyer will help calculate and present these damages so that your family receives fair compensation for your tragic loss.At Sepulveda Sanchez Accident Lawyers, we take many of these types of cases on a honorarios condicionales so that you don’t have to worry about paying legal fees upfront. Contact us now to get started with your consulta gratuita.