Las Vegas Wrongful Death Lawyer

Las Vegas Wrongful Death Lawyer

Free & confidential · No fee unless we recover money for your family · Available in English & Spanish · Henderson-based for 10+ years · 150+ verified 5-star client reviews · Call (702) 850-1717

Call (702) 850-1717 for a free, confidential conversation — or request your free case review. There is no fee unless we recover money for your family.

If your family is facing the loss of someone you love because of another person or company's negligence, we are so sorry. You should not have to navigate the legal side of this alone. When you are ready — there is no rush and no obligation — The Ruiz Law Firm can quietly handle the paperwork, the insurance companies, and the deadlines, so your family can focus on each other. Our conversation is free and confidential, and because we work on a contingency fee, there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for your family. In Nevada, families generally have two years from the date of death to file, so there is usually time to grieve first and decide later.

Wrongful Death Help for Las Vegas and Henderson Families

A wrongful death claim cannot undo what happened. Its purpose is to hold the responsible party accountable and protect the financial and personal interests of the family left behind. These cases require both careful legal work and restraint: the facts need to be investigated, deadlines need to be protected, and the family's loss needs to be presented with accuracy.

The Ruiz Law Firm helps families in Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, and surrounding Clark County communities evaluate claims after fatal crashes, falls, workplace incidents, medical errors, unsafe products, and other preventable events.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Nevada

Two separate parties have standing to file under Nevada's wrongful death statute, NRS 41.085 ("Heirs and personal representatives may maintain action"). Understanding which track applies to your family is one of the first things an attorney sorts out.

1. The heirs of the deceased person. Nevada heirs are generally the people who would inherit the deceased person's separate property under state law if there were no will. In most families that means a surviving spouse or domestic partner and children, and in some situations parents. Heirs recover for their own losses, such as grief, loss of companionship, and the support the person would have provided.

2. The personal representative of the estate. This is the person appointed to act for the deceased person's estate. The representative brings a survival action on behalf of the estate to recover losses the deceased person suffered before death.

A person who wrongfully caused the death is disqualified from recovering as an heir. Which relatives ultimately recover, and in what share, depends on the specific family structure, so the relationships above describe who is commonly involved rather than a guarantee of who recovers in any one case. An attorney can identify the proper heirs and, where needed, help open the estate and appoint a personal representative.

Wrongful Death Claim vs. Survival Action

Nevada law recognizes two distinct claims after a fatal injury, and many cases pursue both. A wrongful death claim compensates the family for their own losses. A survival action compensates the estate for what the deceased person endured before death. Under NRS 41.085 the two actions may be joined.

| | Wrongful death claim | Survival action | | --- | --- | --- | | Who brings it | The heirs of the deceased person | The personal representative of the estate | | What it covers | The family's own losses | The losses the deceased person suffered before death | | Examples | Grief and sorrow, loss of companionship and support, funeral and burial costs | Pre-death medical bills, pre-death conscious pain and suffering, lost wages before death |

If you are not sure which claim fits your situation, that is normal. The Ruiz Law Firm reviews the facts and explains how a wrongful death claim and a survival action could work together in your case.

Common Causes of Wrongful Death Claims We Review

Wrongful death claims can arise from many types of negligence. Common examples include:

• Fatal Las Vegas car accident claims involving distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, or disputed fault
• Fatal Las Vegas truck accident cases involving commercial vehicles, delivery drivers, cargo problems, or unsafe carrier practices
• Fatal motorcycle accidents where rider bias or insurance issues need to be addressed
• Fatal pedestrian accidents near crosswalks, parking lots, bus stops, resort corridors, and high-speed roads
• Fatal falls or unsafe-property incidents involving hotels, casinos, apartments, stores, garages, or job sites
• Medical malpractice deaths involving misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes, or failure to monitor a patient
• Defective or dangerous product deaths involving unsafe vehicles, machinery, equipment, or consumer products
• Work-related deaths that may involve workers' compensation benefits, a third-party negligence claim, or both

Workplace fatalities in particular often involve both a workers' compensation path and a separate third-party negligence claim, and the right combination depends on who created the hazard.

If the death happened in Las Vegas, the case may involve Metro reports, Clark County court filings, private property records, surveillance footage, commercial insurance, hospital records, or employer records. The exact evidence depends on where and how the fatal incident happened.

How a Nevada Wrongful Death Claim Works

Every case is different, but most wrongful death claims move through a similar set of steps. Knowing the path ahead can make a difficult time feel more manageable.

1. Investigate and preserve evidence. Reports, footage, vehicle data, property records, and medical records are gathered and protected before they disappear.
2. Identify the heirs and, where needed, open the estate. The proper heirs are identified, and if a survival action is involved, a personal representative is appointed for the estate.
3. Determine all liable parties and available insurance. More than one person or company may share fault, and each may hold a separate policy.
4. Document economic and non-economic losses. Financial losses and the family's personal losses are both gathered and supported with evidence.
5. Present the claim and negotiate. A demand is made to the responsible parties and their insurers, followed by negotiation.
6. File suit within the deadline if needed. If a fair resolution is not reached, a lawsuit is filed before the two-year deadline runs.

Evidence That Should Be Preserved

Wrongful death investigations often involve evidence that disappears quickly. Depending on the case, our team may look for:

• Police, crash, coroner, medical, or incident reports
• 911 records and witness statements
• Vehicle data, dashcam footage, traffic-camera footage, and nearby business video
• Trucking records, rideshare records, employer records, or maintenance logs
• Property inspection records, cleaning logs, security records, and prior incident history
• Hospital and treatment records connecting the incident to the death
• Insurance policies and coverage from all potentially responsible parties

The goal is to build the claim from documents and facts, not from assumptions or pressure tactics.

Nevada Wrongful Death Deadlines and Standing

Nevada wrongful death cases are time-sensitive. The filing period is generally two years from the date of death, and Nevada's general personal-injury filing period is also two years under NRS 11.190(4)(e). Families should not wait until that deadline approaches, because evidence preservation, probate questions, estate authority, and insurance review can all take time.

Standing also matters. As explained above, a surviving spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, heir, or estate representative may have different rights depending on the family structure. An attorney can help identify who needs to be involved and how the claim should be organized.

Damages in a Wrongful Death Case

A wrongful death claim and a survival action may recover both economic and non-economic losses. The categories below show the kinds of losses Nevada law may allow.

| Economic losses | Non-economic losses | | --- | --- | | Funeral and burial costs | Grief and sorrow | | Final medical expenses | Loss of companionship | | Lost income and benefits the person would have provided | Loss of consortium | | Lost household services and support | Loss of a parent's guidance and care |

No attorney should promise a result. The value of a wrongful death claim depends on liability, available insurance, the person's age and earnings, family relationships, medical evidence, whether comparative fault is raised, and the full facts of the loss. Nevada follows a modified comparative negligence rule with a 51% bar under NRS 41.141, which can reduce or bar recovery based on the percentage of fault assigned to the deceased person.

What Happens When You Call

When you call:

1. You talk with our team — not a call center.
2. We listen and explain your options in plain language, with no pressure.
3. If we move forward, we handle the insurers, paperwork, and deadlines for you.

The call is free, and there is no fee unless we recover money for your family.

Speak With a Las Vegas Wrongful Death Attorney

When you feel ready, a short conversation is the simplest first step — there is no cost and no obligation. Call (702) 850-1717 to speak with The Ruiz Law Firm directly, or request your free, confidential case review and we will reach out at a time that works for your family. We will listen to what happened, explain your options in plain language, and help preserve the evidence needed to evaluate the claim — and we can do all of this in English or Spanish. The firm serves Henderson, Las Vegas, Summerlin, and the surrounding Clark County area. There is no attorney fee unless we recover money for your family.