Spokane Wrongful Death Attorney

Representing Grieving Families in Spokane and Eastern Washington

A wrongful death attorney helps surviving family members pursue accountability and compensation when a loved one dies because of someone else's negligence. At Rossman Law Group, our Spokane wrongful death attorneys handle every legal step so your family can focus on healing.

Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things a family will ever face. Losing them because a driver, a medical provider, or a company failed to use reasonable care adds a weight that never should have existed. No lawsuit can undo that loss. What a wrongful death claim can do is provide answers, hold the responsible party accountable, and secure the financial stability your family will need in the years ahead.

Rossman Law Group is a father and son team led by attorneys Eric Rossman and Kevin Rossman. We built our practice across the Northwest on high-value cases, including wrongful death, medical malpractice, and serious injury claims. Now we have opened an office in Spokane to bring that same focused representation to families throughout Eastern Washington. Call (208) 331-2030 for a free case evaluation.

What Is a Wrongful Death Claim in Washington?

Washington law allows a civil claim when a person's death is caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another. That standard comes from the state's wrongful death statutes, RCW 4.20.010 and RCW 4.20.020. A wrongful death lawsuit is separate from any criminal case. A criminal prosecution seeks punishment. A wrongful death claim seeks compensation for the people left behind, and it can move forward whether or not criminal charges are ever filed.

To win a wrongful death claim, your attorney must establish four elements. The at-fault party owed your loved one a duty of care. They breached that duty. The breach caused the death. And your family suffered measurable losses as a result. Each element has to be supported with evidence, which is why early investigation matters so much.

Washington is also a pure comparative negligence state under RCW 4.22.005. Even if the insurance company argues that your loved one shared some portion of fault, your family can still recover compensation, reduced by that percentage. Insurers frequently use shared-fault arguments to shrink what they pay. An experienced wrongful death lawyer knows how to push back with evidence rather than accept the adjuster's version of events.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Washington?

In Washington, the personal representative of the deceased person's estate files the wrongful death claim. The claim is brought for the benefit of statutory beneficiaries. The first tier includes the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, along with children and stepchildren. If there are no first-tier beneficiaries, certain parents or siblings may be eligible. If a personal representative has not yet been appointed, our attorneys can guide your family through that process so the claim can proceed without delay.

How Long Do You Have to File? Washington's Statute of Limitations

For most wrongful death claims in Washington, the statute of limitations is three years under RCW 4.16.080. Three years sounds like plenty of time, but strong cases are built early. Skid marks fade, records get archived, businesses close, and witnesses move away. Talking to a Spokane wrongful death attorney soon after your loss protects both the filing deadline and the quality of your evidence.

If the death involved medical negligence, different timing rules can apply. Under RCW 4.16.350, a medical malpractice claim generally must be filed within three years of the negligent act or one year from the date the harm was discovered, whichever is later. Deadlines in these cases are fact specific, so do not assume yours; let an attorney confirm it.

Wrongful Death Cases We Handle

Our Spokane wrongful death lawyers represent families after fatal accidents of every kind, including:

• Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes, including collisions along the I-90 corridor, Division Street, and US-395
• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents on Spokane streets
• Medical malpractice and hospital negligence
• Workplace and construction site accidents
• Defective products
• Nursing home neglect and abuse
• Drunk driving crashes, including potential dram shop claims against businesses that overserved the driver

Every fatal accident case starts with the same question: could this death have been prevented if someone had acted responsibly? If the answer is yes, your family may have a claim. We investigate thoroughly, gather medical records from facilities such as Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and MultiCare Deaconess Hospital when they are part of your loved one's care history, and bring in accident reconstructionists, medical experts, and economists to build the full picture of what happened and what it cost your family.

Fatal trucking collisions and medical negligence cases deserve a special note, because both are core areas of our practice. Trucking cases involve federal regulations, driver logs, and corporate defendants who send their own investigators to the scene within hours. Medical cases require expert review of records and standards of care. These are exactly the high-stakes, evidence-heavy cases our firm was built to handle.

Compensation Available in a Washington Wrongful Death Claim

Washington law allows surviving family members to recover both economic and noneconomic damages. Depending on the circumstances, compensation in a wrongful death claim may include:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Medical bills related to the final injury or illness
• Lost income and the financial support the deceased would have provided
• Loss of household services such as childcare, home maintenance, and transportation
• Loss of companionship, love, care, and guidance
• A child's loss of a parent's supervision and support

The value of these losses depends on your loved one's age, earning capacity, health, and role in the family. There is no formula that fits every case, and any lawyer who quotes you a number before investigating is guessing. We work with economists and other specialists to document what your family has actually lost.

In some cases, the estate may also bring a survival action alongside the wrongful death claim. A survival action compensates the estate for losses the deceased personally experienced before death, such as pre-death pain and suffering and lost earnings between the injury and the death. Our attorneys evaluate both claims together so nothing your family is entitled to gets left on the table.

How Our Spokane Wrongful Death Attorneys Handle Your Case

Most families have never been through anything like this, so we keep the process clear from day one. Here is what working with Rossman Law Group looks like:

1. Free case evaluation. We listen to your story, review any records you have, and give you an honest assessment of your options. There is no cost and no obligation.
2. Investigation. We gather police reports, medical records, witness statements, and physical evidence. Where the facts require it, we retain accident reconstructionists and medical experts.
3. Establishing the estate. If a personal representative has not been appointed, we help your family complete that step so the claim can be filed properly.
4. Demand and negotiation. We calculate the full value of your family's losses and present a documented demand to the insurance company. We handle every conversation so no adjuster can twist your words.
5. Trial when necessary. Most wrongful death claims settle, but insurance companies pay closest attention to firms that are ready for a courtroom. If a fair settlement is not offered, we file suit and try the case, in Spokane County Superior Court when venue calls for it.

How Hard Is It to Win a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

Honestly, these are demanding cases. You must prove duty, breach, causation, and damages with credible evidence, and defendants fight fatal injury claims aggressively because the stakes are high. That difficulty is not a reason to walk away. Families represented by experienced wrongful death attorneys consistently recover far more than families who negotiate alone. The strength of your evidence, the quality of your experts, and your attorney's willingness to go to trial are the three factors that matter most.

Why Families Choose Rossman Law Group

Wrongful death cases are a cornerstone of our practice, not a sideline. Eric Rossman has spent decades handling high-value injury and death cases throughout the Northwest, and together with Kevin Rossman he brings a level of personal attention that larger firms struggle to match. When you hire our firm, you work directly with the attorneys handling your case, not a rotating cast of case managers.

Our attorneys are licensed to practice in Washington and are members of the Washington State Bar Association. We handle every wrongful death claim on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for your family. We also front the case expenses, including expert witnesses and court costs, so financial pressure never forces your family into accepting a lowball settlement.

We also keep our caseload deliberately focused. Wrongful death claims involve grieving clients, complex evidence, and long timelines, and they cannot be handled well in bulk. You will get our direct phone numbers, honest answers about the strengths and weaknesses of your case, and updates you do not have to chase down.

Serving Spokane and Surrounding Communities

Our Spokane office at 304 W Pacific Ave Suite 210, Spokane, WA 99201 serves families throughout Eastern Washington, including Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Mead, North Spokane, the South Hill, and downtown Spokane. Wherever your loss occurred, from a highway collision on I-90 to a workplace accident in Airway Heights, we are close enough to meet with you in person and familiar enough with local courts to represent your family effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a wrongful death attorney cost?

Nothing upfront. Rossman Law Group works on a contingency fee, which means our fee is a percentage of the recovery we obtain for your family. If we do not recover compensation, you owe us no attorney fee. Your free case evaluation is exactly that: free.

What is the difference between a wrongful death claim and a survival action?

A wrongful death claim compensates surviving family members for their own losses, such as lost financial support and loss of companionship. A survival action belongs to the estate and compensates for what the deceased personally experienced, including pre-death pain and suffering. Many Washington cases involve both, filed together by the personal representative.

Can a wrongful death claim be filed if my loved one had no will?

Yes. The absence of a will does not prevent a wrongful death claim. A court can appoint a personal representative for the estate, often a close family member, who then files the claim on behalf of the beneficiaries. We help families with this step regularly.

What should I avoid saying to the insurance company?

Ideally, nothing at all. Adjusters are trained to sound sympathetic while collecting statements they can use to reduce or deny your claim. Refer every call to your attorney. And when you speak with your own lawyer, be complete and honest. Never guess, exaggerate, or hold back facts; your attorney can only protect you from what they know about.

Talk to a Spokane Wrongful Death Attorney Today

If you lost a loved one because someone else failed to act with reasonable care, you deserve straight answers about your family's rights and options. The consultation is free, the fee is contingent on winning, and Washington's three-year clock is already running.

Call (208) 331-2030 for a free case evaluation, or contact Rossman Law Group today. Our Spokane team is ready to listen, to investigate, and to fight for the accountability your family deserves.