Sandy Wrongful Death Lawyer

A sudden death leaves a family with grief first and practical questions soon after: what actually happened, who is responsible, and how the bills and the household will be handled now. For Sandy families, those questions are governed by Utah's wrongful death statutes. If a lawsuit becomes necessary, it goes to the Third Judicial District Court, whose Salt Lake County courthouses are the Matheson Courthouse at 450 South State Street in Salt Lake City and the West Jordan courthouse at 8080 South Redwood Road.

No claim can undo the loss. What it can do is establish the facts, hold the responsible party accountable, and give the family financial footing while you grieve.

When Utah Law Recognizes a Wrongful Death

Under Utah Code § 78B-3-106, when a death is caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another, the heirs or a personal representative may sue the person responsible, or an employer answerable for that person's conduct. Around Sandy these cases most often grow out of traffic on I-15 and I-215, State Street and 700 East, the canyon roads, or a pedestrian struck near TRAX or after a stadium event. They can also follow a dangerous property condition or a commercial vehicle crash.

A wrongful death case is civil, not criminal. Prosecutors decide whether to charge a driver; the family's claim is about compensation and is decided under a lower burden of proof, so it can go forward whether or not charges are ever filed.

Which Relatives Can Bring the Case

Utah Code § 78B-3-105 lists the heirs: a surviving spouse, children, natural or adoptive parents, and stepchildren under 18 who were supported by or lived at least part-time with the person who died. Other blood relatives qualify under intestacy law only if no spouse, child or parent survives. A personal representative can also bring the claim for the heirs' benefit. Our Utah wrongful death guide explains who is included.

The Two-Year Deadline

A death claim generally must be filed within two years (§ 78B-2-304), half the four years most injury claims get. When Sandy City, Salt Lake County, UDOT or UTA may share fault, a written notice of claim is due within one year under the Governmental Immunity Act. All of Utah's deadlines are on our statute of limitations page.

Losses a Family Can Claim

The statute allows damages that are just under all the circumstances. Depending on the facts, that can include:

• The wages, benefits and household support the person would have provided.
• Medical bills from the final injury, plus funeral and burial costs.
• The loss of companionship, care, counsel and guidance, including a parent's place in a child's life.
• The grief and emotional loss the family lives with.
• Punitive damages, only in rare cases of extreme conduct such as impaired driving.

Money cannot make a family whole. It can ease the financial strain so there is room to grieve.

Fatal Crashes and Incidents Around Sandy

We help families after deaths on I-15 near the 9000 South and 10600 South interchanges and on I-215; on arterials such as State Street, 700 East and 10600 South; motorcycle deaths on Wasatch Boulevard and the road into Little Cottonwood Canyon; pedestrians killed walking to a TRAX station or leaving America First Field; and deaths caused by unsafe property. Our Sandy car accident page describes the city's crash corridors in more detail.

What We Do for Sandy Families

We get the report from whichever agency handled the case, usually the Sandy Police Department inside the city or the Utah Highway Patrol on the interstates, and move quickly to preserve vehicles, video and data. We identify every insurance policy that may apply, take the insurers' calls, and keep you informed at each step. The steps in a Utah injury case give an overview, and our Sandy personal injury page covers the city more broadly.