Mandeville Wrongful Death Lawyer

Wrongful death lawyers who pursue full recovery for injured clients and their families.

When a family member dies because of someone else’s negligence, the surviving family has the right to pursue a wrongful death claim under Louisiana law. A Mandeville, LA wrongful death lawyer at Kiefer & Kiefer can help your family understand its legal options and pursue compensation for the loss you have suffered.

Our attorneys have handled wrongful death claims arising from commercial truck collisions, car accidents, workplace incidents, and dangerous property conditions for over 40 years. We take these cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for your family.

Wrongful Death Lawyer Mandeville, LA

A wrongful death claim exists when a person dies as a result of another party’s fault. The claim belongs to the surviving family members, not to the estate of the deceased, and it compensates those family members for the losses they personally sustained because of the death. Louisiana law establishes a specific order of priority for who may bring a wrongful death action: the surviving spouse and children first, then parents, then siblings, then grandparents.

This is not the same as a survival action, which recovers damages the deceased person experienced before death. Both types of claims can arise from the same incident, and both can be pursued simultaneously. The damages, the eligible claimants, and the prescriptive periods each follow different rules.

Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Mandeville

Wrongful death claims can arise from a wide range of circumstances, and the causes of fatal accidents vary significantly in terms of investigation and proof. Our attorneys handle wrongful death cases in Mandeville, LA involving the following.

• Car accidents. Fatal motor vehicle crashes remain one of the most common grounds for wrongful death claims in Louisiana. We investigate fault, insurance coverage, and whether any contributing conditions, such as road design or vehicle defects, may expand the scope of liability.
• Truck accidents. Collisions involving commercial trucks produce fatal injuries at a disproportionate rate due to the weight and speed of the vehicles involved. These cases often involve multiple liable parties, including the carrier, the driver, and the entity responsible for vehicle maintenance.
• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists lack the structural protection that vehicle occupants have, and fatal outcomes in motorcycle crashes are far more common. Fault disputes in these cases often involve visibility, lane positioning, and the other driver’s failure to yield.
• Pedestrian accidents. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle at even moderate speed faces a high risk of fatal injury. We handle claims involving crosswalk failures, distracted driving, and inadequate lighting in commercial and residential areas throughout Mandeville.
• Medical malpractice. When a healthcare provider’s error causes a patient’s death, the surviving family may have a wrongful death claim. Louisiana imposes specific procedural requirements on medical malpractice cases, including a mandatory medical review panel process, before a lawsuit can be filed.
• Workplace accidents. Fatal injuries on construction sites, industrial facilities, and commercial properties may give rise to wrongful death claims against third parties whose negligence contributed to the death. These claims are separate from any workers’ compensation benefits the family may receive.
• Premises liability. Property owners who fail to address dangerous conditions can be held liable when those conditions cause a fatal injury. Falls from height, structural collapses, electrocutions, and fire-related deaths all fall within this category.

Why Choose Kiefer & Kiefer as My Wrongful Death Lawyer in Mandeville, LA?

Attorneys Who Prepare Wrongful Death Cases With Care

Wrongful death cases require more than legal knowledge. They require an understanding of the person who was lost and the relationships that were broken. Our attorneys invest time in learning about the deceased, their role in the family, and the specific ways their absence affects each surviving member. That preparation is what allows us to present the full scope of a family’s loss to a jury or to the insurance company evaluating the claim.

Megan Kiefer is a partner at the firm who has been recognized as a Top Lawyer in Louisiana by Louisiana Life and has been named to the Litigation Counsel of America. She graduated from Tulane University Law School with Order of the Coif distinction and completed advanced mediation and negotiation training at Humboldt University of Berlin. She is a Super Lawyers honoree and a Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum inductee, and she currently teaches Trial Advocacy on the adjunct faculty at Tulane University Law School.

Nat Kiefer Jr. has practiced law in Louisiana since 1982, when he graduated from Tulane University Law School with honors and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He received the Walter Sutton Award that year as well. Over four decades of practice, he has handled wrongful death, personal injury, and premises liability cases across Louisiana’s state and federal courts.

Chris Short graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School and holds a degree from California State University Maritime Academy. Licensed in Louisiana and Florida, he brings a precise, evidence-focused approach to wrongful death litigation that complements the firm’s trial preparation.

Kiefer & Kiefer has helped families recover millions of dollars across wrongful death, personal injury, and premises liability matters. Our personal injury lawyer in Mandeville, LA handles every wrongful death case on contingency. You pay nothing unless we obtain a recovery for your family.

What Is Important to Understand About a Wrongful Death Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Wrongful Death Cases

The damages available in a wrongful death case are distinct from those in a standard personal injury claim. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 2315, a person who causes damage through fault is obligated to repair it. In a wrongful death context, the surviving family members may recover for the loss of the deceased’s financial support, the loss of services the deceased provided to the household, funeral and burial expenses, and the loss of love, companionship, and guidance. The value of each category depends on the relationship between the survivor and the deceased, the deceased’s earning history and projected income, and the age and health of both parties.

Determining damages in these cases often requires forensic economists who calculate the present value of lost future income and benefits. It also requires testimony from the surviving family members about the nature and depth of their relationship with the person they lost. Both require careful preparation before the claim can be fully valued.

Families should also be aware that wrongful death settlements may carry tax implications depending on how the recovery is structured. We work with families to address these considerations as part of the resolution process.

What Are Important Aspects of a Wrongful Death Case?

Several features of wrongful death claims set them apart from other personal injury matters.

• First, the right to file belongs to the deceased’s surviving family members in a specific order of priority established by Louisiana law. If the deceased is survived by a spouse and children, they hold the right of action. If not, the right passes to parents, then siblings, then grandparents. Only the highest-priority class of survivors may bring the claim.
• Second, wrongful death cases can intersect with criminal proceedings. If the death resulted from conduct that is also the subject of a criminal prosecution, the civil wrongful death claim can proceed independently. A criminal conviction is not required to pursue civil liability, and a civil case uses a lower burden of proof than a criminal one.
• Third, Louisiana’s comparative fault law under Civil Code Article 2323 applies to wrongful death claims. As of January 1, 2026, if the deceased is assigned 51% or more of the fault for the incident that caused their death, the surviving family members are barred from recovering damages.

What Is the Wrongful Death Case Timeline?

The prescriptive period for wrongful death actions in Louisiana was amended in 2025. Under Civil Code Article 2315.2, the right of action now prescribes one year from the date of death or two years from the date the injury or damage was sustained, whichever period is longer. For deaths resulting from medical malpractice, the prescriptive period remains one year from the date of death. The timeline for the case itself depends on several variables.

• Investigating the cause of death, identifying all responsible parties, and gathering the evidence needed to establish fault can take weeks or months.
• Medical records, accident reports, witness interviews, and any available surveillance footage all play a role.
• If the case involves a commercial vehicle or a workplace accident, federal records and regulatory filings add another layer.
• After the investigation reaches a sufficient stage, we evaluate the full scope of damages and submit a demand to the responsible parties or their insurers.
• If a fair resolution is not reached through negotiation, we file suit and prepare the case for trial. Given the amended prescriptive period, families now have more time than they previously did under the former one-year-only rule.
• But beginning the process early still matters because evidence degrades, witnesses become harder to locate, and the strength of the case depends heavily on what can be preserved in the weeks immediately following the death.

What Should You Bring to Your Wrongful Death Consultation?

You do not need to have everything organized before reaching out. Many families contact us in the early days following a loss, and we are prepared to guide you through what comes next. The consultation is free, and it gives us an opportunity to review the facts, identify the responsible parties, and explain how Louisiana’s wrongful death laws apply to your situation.

• Any documentation you have about the circumstances of the death is helpful. This includes the death certificate, any police or incident reports, medical records from the deceased’s final treatment, and correspondence from insurance companies.
• Photographs and information about the deceased’s employment, income, and role in the family are also useful for evaluating damages.

What Are Important Louisiana Legal Resources for Wrongful Death Cases?

Wrongful death claims in Louisiana are governed by specific Civil Code provisions that differ in important ways from general personal injury law. If you are researching the laws that may apply to your family’s case, the following statutes and resources provide a starting point.

• Lousiana Wrongful Death Statute: Establishes who may bring a claim and the prescriptive period for filing.
• Civil Code Article 2315: General negligence and damages framework provides the foundation for tort liability in Louisiana.
• Civil Code Article 2323: Comparative fault statute governs how fault is allocated among the parties, including the 51% bar to recovery that took effect on January 1, 2026.
• Civil Code Article 3493.1: For personal injury claims that do not involve a death sets a two-year prescriptive period for actions arising after July 1, 2024.

Reach Out to Kiefer & Kiefer to Schedule a Consultation

If your family has lost a loved one because of another party’s negligence in Mandeville, Kiefer & Kiefer is prepared to review your case. We handle wrongful death claims on a contingency basis, so your family pays nothing upfront and owes no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.