Destrehan Wrongful Death Lawyer

Wrongful Death Lawyer Destrehan, LA

Losing a family member because of someone else’s negligence is devastating. You’re grieving, you’re overwhelmed, and you’re likely dealing with the financial stress of funeral costs, lost income, medical bills from the final hospitalization.

Our Destrehan, LA wrongful death lawyer at Kiefer & Kiefer has spent over 40 years representing families who have lost loved ones to preventable accidents and negligent conduct. We handle these cases with the thoroughness and care they require, and we fight to make sure the people responsible are held fully accountable. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Why Choose Kiefer & Kiefer for Wrongful Death Cases in Destrehan, LA?

We Learn Your Loved One’s Story

Most law firms approach wrongful death cases as insurance claims. We don’t. When we take a wrongful death case, we want to know everything about the person who was lost. We ask to see family photos and videos. We want to hear the stories: how they spent their time, what they meant to the people around them, what their presence added to your family’s life. That approach isn’t incidental to how we work. It’s central to it.

The reason is straightforward. Wrongful death cases require proving not just what happened, but what was lost. A jury or an insurance company needs to understand the full weight of that loss. Our personal injury lawyer in Destrehan, LA has represented families in some of the most difficult cases imaginable, and we know that the human side of a wrongful death case matters just as much as the legal side.

Megan Kiefer is a partner at the firm and one of Louisiana’s most recognized personal injury attorneys. She earned her J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 2009 and holds advanced training in mediation and negotiation from Humboldt University of Berlin. A multi-year Super Lawyers honoree recognized in 2022, 2023, and 2024, she is also a Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum inductee and a two-time recipient of the New Orleans City Business Leadership in Law award. New Orleans Magazine has named her a top personal injury lawyer. She currently serves as an adjunct instructor at Tulane University Law School’s trial advocacy program.

Nat Kiefer Jr. graduated from Tulane University Law School in 1982 with honors, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and received the Walter Sutton Award. He has been practicing Louisiana personal injury law for over 40 years and has served as an adjunct instructor at Loyola University Law School. His decades of litigation experience, including jury trials across Louisiana, shape every case he touches.

Chris Short is a partner who graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School and is licensed in both Louisiana and Florida. His ability to connect with clients during some of the hardest moments of their lives is something that comes through in how he handles these cases from start to finish.

The firm has been featured on Fox, WWLTV, WDSU, and CBS, and our attorneys are recognized by Super Lawyers across multiple years.

Results That Reflect Our Dedication

Kiefer & Kiefer has recovered well over $100 million for injured clients and their families across Louisiana. Our results include a $1.9 million recovery for a wrongful death caused by chemical exposure, a $4.2 million result for a client who suffered catastrophic injuries, and a $5 million premises liability recovery. We have handled cases involving paralysis, fatal workplace accidents, and deaths caused by negligent drivers, property owners, and corporations.

Those results come from doing the work that most firms won’t. Retaining the right experts. Building the human story of your loved one alongside the legal theory of the case. Going to trial when the insurance company won’t offer what a family is owed.

Thorough Investigation From the Start

Wrongful death cases require immediate action. Evidence disappears. Witnesses become harder to locate. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. We move quickly to preserve everything relevant to the case while also beginning the process of understanding your family’s full loss. Both matter equally to how a wrongful death case is resolved.

No Fees Unless We Win

Every wrongful death case we handle is taken on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing to get started, and we collect no fee unless we recover compensation for your family.

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“This law firm is EXCEPTIONAL! If you need some one who will truly fight for you, look no further. This is the Law Firm to hire! Knowledgeable, compassionate, and incredibly skilled. I’m beyond satisfied with the results of my son’s case! Thanks Megan Kiefer, and the entire team at Kiefer & Kiefer who assisted with my case!!” — Anunka L.

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Destrehan

Wrongful death claims arise from many different kinds of accidents and negligent conduct. What they share is that a life was lost because someone failed in a legal duty they owed to another person. We represent families across Destrehan and St. Charles Parish in all of the following situations.

• Fatal truck accidents. Commercial trucks are among the most dangerous vehicles on Louisiana roads. When a truck driver or trucking company’s negligence causes a fatality, the liable parties can include the driver, the company, and in some cases the vehicle manufacturer. These cases require immediate investigation and preservation of evidence including driver logs, black box data, and maintenance records.
• Fatal motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle riders face an elevated risk of fatal injury in crashes with other vehicles. Bias against motorcyclists is common, and we counter it with evidence, accident reconstruction, and a thorough understanding of Louisiana’s rules of the road as they apply to riders.
• Fatal pedestrian accidents. Pedestrians struck by vehicles have no protection, and the injuries are frequently fatal. When a driver’s inattention, speeding, or failure to yield causes a death, the family has a right to pursue the full value of that loss.
• Fatal slip and fall accidents. Falls on dangerous property can cause fatal head trauma, spinal injuries, and other catastrophic harm. Property owners who maintain unsafe conditions bear responsibility when those conditions cause a death.
• Fatal workplace accidents. Louisiana workers are killed in industrial accidents, construction site incidents, and vehicle crashes every year. Depending on the circumstances, a wrongful death claim may be available alongside or in addition to workers’ compensation. We evaluate the full picture.
• Deaths caused by chemical or toxic exposure. We secured a $1.9 million recovery for a family whose loved one died as a result of chemical exposure. These cases require specialized knowledge and expert testimony, and they are cases we have handled.
• Wrongful death following criminal conduct. A wrongful death civil claim can proceed independently of any criminal case. Even if the person responsible is not criminally charged or convicted, a civil claim for your family’s losses may still be viable. Our attorneys understand these cases and how the two legal processes interact.

Louisiana Legal Requirements for Wrongful Death Cases

Louisiana’s wrongful death statute is found at La. C.C. Art. 2315.2. It allows specific surviving family members to bring a claim for their own losses resulting from a loved one’s death. The people who can bring a wrongful death claim under Louisiana law are, in order of priority: the surviving spouse and children, then the parents, then the siblings, and finally the grandparents. Only the highest-priority category with surviving members can bring the claim.

Separate from wrongful death, Louisiana also allows a survival action under La. C.C. Art. 2315.1. A survival action allows the estate to recover damages the deceased person suffered between the moment of injury and the moment of death — pain, suffering, and medical expenses incurred before passing. In many cases, both a wrongful death claim and a survival action are brought together. They involve different damages and different legal theories, and both deserve full attention.

Louisiana’s comparative fault rules under La. C.C. Art. 2323 apply to wrongful death cases just as they do to personal injury claims. If a defendant argues that the deceased bore partial responsibility for the accident, that argument can reduce the recovery. We anticipate those arguments and build cases that address them directly.

The statute of limitations for wrongful death claims in Louisiana is one year from the date of death under La. C.C. Art. 3492. For survival actions, the one-year period runs from the date of injury. These deadlines are firm, and missing them ends the family’s ability to recover. If you’ve lost a loved one in Destrehan, do not wait to speak with an attorney.

What Damages Are Recoverable in a Destrehan Wrongful Death Case?

Louisiana law allows surviving family members to recover for the full scope of their losses, and those losses are both financial and deeply personal.

Economic damages in a wrongful death case include the financial support the deceased provided or would have provided over their lifetime. Lost income and benefits. The value of services they performed for the family. Funeral and burial expenses. In cases involving a primary earner or a young person with a long working life ahead of them, these calculations require forensic economists to project future losses with precision. We work with those experts regularly.

Non-economic damages are often the most significant component of a wrongful death recovery. The loss of love, companionship, comfort, and guidance that a family member provided. The grief of a spouse who lost a partner. The loss a child experiences growing up without a parent. Louisiana law recognizes these losses as compensable, and juries take them seriously when a case is properly presented. How well an attorney understands and communicates the depth of a family’s loss directly affects what a wrongful death case is worth. We understand that, and it shapes how we handle wrongful death claims from the very first conversation.

Survival action damages are recovered on behalf of the deceased’s estate and cover what the deceased suffered before death. Medical expenses. Pain and suffering between the injury and death. These are pursued alongside the wrongful death claim in most cases we handle.

What your family’s case is worth depends on who was lost, what they meant to the people around them, and the financial reality of their absence. We evaluate damages in wrongful death cases thoroughly and build a case that reflects the full weight of your loss.

Contact Kiefer & Kiefer

If you lost a family member in Destrehan due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. We know this is an extraordinarily difficult time, and we handle every wrongful death case with the care and seriousness it deserves. We offer free consultations, we work on a contingency basis, and you will pay nothing unless we recover compensation for your family. Contact us today to tell us about your loved one.