Salt Lake City wrongful death lawyers at Parker & McConkie represent families who lost a loved one because of another party's careless, reckless, or illegal conduct.
Our firm pursues claims arising from fatal car and truck crashes, workplace fatalities, defective products, and other negligence-based deaths under Utah law.
The phone call telling a family that someone is gone changes the shape of every plan, every holiday, every quiet evening that comes after.
Utah law gives the people left behind a way to hold the responsible party accountable and recover the financial future the death took from them.
That work is what our Salt Lake City wrongful death attorneys at Parker & McConkie do, and we do it on a contingency basis with free consultations available.
Reach our Salt Lake City office at 833-STANDUP, or stop by 466 S. 500 E., Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84102.
We help everyday people stand up for What's Right.
How Parker & McConkie Supports Grieving Families
Our firm has guided surviving spouses, parents, and adult children through Utah wrongful death cases for years.
Salt Lake City wrongful death lawyers at Parker & McConkie litigate fatal-incident cases in Third District Court, in federal court when jurisdiction calls for it, and in coordination with probate matters when the estate plays a role. Each attorney's bar history and case background lives on their individual bio page.
A wrongful death case carries a weight that most injury claims do not. The losses extend far beyond immediate expenses, reaching into the family's future, relationships, and financial stability.
At the same time, an heir or personal representative must step into the legal role the deceased can no longer occupy, while insurance companies often approach these claims with heightened scrutiny and resistance.
Our team works with forensic economists, life-care planners, accident reconstruction professionals, and treating physicians to build a clear and honest account of what the family has lost.
How We Walk Beside the Family
- We meet on the family's timeline, not ours, and the first meeting is free
- We sort out the heir-versus-personal-representative question early under Utah probate rules
- We run an independent investigation of the fatal incident, separate from any criminal case
- We absorb communication with insurance adjusters, defense lawyers, and corporate risk teams
- We prepare every case as though it may end up in front of a Salt Lake County jury
The thoroughness of that preparation often shapes how seriously the other side approaches settlement. Insurance carriers track which firms work cases hard and which ones do not.
If you are currently facing this challenging process, learn how a fatal accident settlement is distributed among surviving family members so you can confidently protect your family’s future.
What Counts as a Wrongful Death Under Utah Law?
A wrongful death under Utah law happens when a person dies because of the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another party.
Utah Code § 78B-3-106 creates the cause of action, allowing heirs or the personal representative of the estate to sue the responsible party for damages.
The civil claim runs on its own track, independent of any criminal charges the prosecutor files against the same person or company.
Fatal Incident Types That Often Become Wrongful Death Cases
Wrongful death claims can arise from many different kinds of fatal incidents, but most cases share a common thread: evidence that another person, company, or institution failed to act with reasonable care.
- Multi-vehicle and semi-truck crashes on I-15, I-80, and Salt Lake County roads
- Pedestrians and cyclists struck by negligent or impaired drivers
- Construction site fatalities tied to safety-rule violations
- Defective vehicle, machinery, or consumer-product cases
- Premises liability deaths, including drownings and falls from height
- Negligent security incidents that ended in violent harm
- Nursing home fatalities involving neglect of basic care
Each fatality category brings its own evidence, regulators, and possible defendants. A semi crash involves Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration logs and electronic data, while a defective product case rests on engineering analysis and the chain of distribution.
Who May File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Utah?
Only certain people may file a Utah wrongful death lawsuit. Utah Code § 78B-3-105 names the heirs who hold standing, and Utah Code § 78B-3-106 also allows the personal representative of the estate to file on behalf of those heirs.
Standing rules are statute-driven and fact-specific, so confirming who qualifies is one of the first steps in any case.
Heirs Who May Have Standing Under Utah Law
Utah courts look first to the deceased person’s closest family relationships and any qualifying financial dependence when determining who may participate in a wrongful death claim.
- Surviving spouse of the deceased
- Children of the deceased, biological or adopted, of any age
- Parents of the deceased, including parents of an adult child
- Certain financially dependent stepchildren may qualify in limited circumstances under Utah law
- In limited situations, more distant statutory heirs may have standing if no closer heirs survive.
Utah law generally contemplates a single wrongful death action encompassing the interests of all eligible heirs, though survival claims and other related actions may travel alongside it.
Our Salt Lake City wrongful death lawyers help families work through who files, how the recovery may be distributed, and what role probate plays without letting the legal mechanics turn into a family rift.
What Damages May a Utah Wrongful Death Claim Recover?
A Utah wrongful death claim may recover both economic and non-economic damages, and the categories often run further into the future than most personal injury cases.
The losses follow the family across years and decades, not weeks of recovery.
Damages That May Be Recoverable in a Utah Wrongful Death Case
Utah wrongful death damages are meant to account for both the financial support the deceased would likely have provided and the personal losses surviving family members now carry forward.
- Lost financial support, including future wages, benefits, and retirement earnings
- Replacement value of household services the deceased performed
- Loss of love, companionship, society, and care
- Loss of guidance and parenting for surviving children
- Burial and funeral expenses
- Medical bills incurred between the injury and the death
- Pre-death pain and suffering of the deceased, when documented
In limited circumstances involving especially egregious conduct, punitive damages may be available under Utah Code § 78B-8-201.
Utah's punitive damages standard is strict and requires a higher level of proof than ordinary negligence.
A forensic economist often projects the long-term financial losses, while testimony from family, friends, coworkers, and clergy gives the non-economic categories their voice.
How Long Do You Have to File a Utah Wrongful Death Claim?
Utah law generally allows two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit under Utah Code § 78B-2-304. Cases against government entities involve shorter notice requirements and added procedural steps.
Missing the applicable deadline often ends the case before evidence reaches a courtroom.
Wrongful Death Deadlines to Track in Utah
Wrongful death timelines can change depending on who the defendant is, whether probate is involved, and whether related claims exist alongside the wrongful death action.
- General wrongful death claim: generally 2 years from the date of death
- Claims against state, county, or city entities: written notice within 1 year and a lawsuit within 2 years under Utah Code § 63G-7-402
- Survival action for pre-death damages: usually filed alongside the wrongful death case
- Tolling for minor heirs and other special circumstances: certain rules may apply
Two years sounds generous in the early weeks of grief, then evaporates fast as probate, the criminal case, and the insurance correspondence pile up.
Calling a Salt Lake City wrongful death lawyer early helps preserve evidence and keeps every legal option on the table.
FAQs for Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Lawyers
How long do I have to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Utah?
Utah generally allows two years from the date of death under Utah Code § 78B-2-304. Claims against a government entity require a written notice within one year and the lawsuit within two years under Utah Code § 63G-7-402.
Specific facts may shift these deadlines, so confirm the timing with a Utah attorney before relying on a single number.
Who receives the money from a Utah wrongful death recovery?
Recovery is generally distributed among qualifying heirs according to Utah law and, when necessary, court allocation. A personal representative who files the case on behalf of the heirs administers the proceeds rather than keeping them personally.
Probate posture, estate claims, and lien resolution may also affect how a recovery flows to the family.
How is wrongful death different from a survival action?
A wrongful death claim compensates surviving family members for their own losses caused by the death. A survival action recovers damages the deceased personally suffered between the injury and the moment of death, such as medical bills, lost wages, and conscious pain and suffering. Utah lawsuits frequently combine both into one filing.
What is my Salt Lake City wrongful death case worth?
Case value depends on the deceased's age, earning trajectory, family role, the conduct of the responsible party, and the strength of the evidence.
Cases involving working parents of young children typically project larger economic losses than cases involving someone outside the workforce.
A free consultation allows our team to apply those factors to the specific facts. Outcomes are never guaranteed.
Do I need a personal representative appointed before I can file?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. An individual heir may file in their own name under Utah Code § 78B-3-106.
When probate is already open, when multiple heirs are involved, or when the estate carries other assets and obligations, a personal representative often files on behalf of all heirs.
Our firm helps the family choose the cleaner path forward.
How much does it cost to hire a Salt Lake City wrongful death lawyer?
Our firm works on contingency, meaning the family pays no attorney fees unless we obtain a recovery. You may still be responsible for certain litigation costs and expenses regardless of outcome, and we explain those before any engagement begins.
The initial consultation is free and confidential, with no obligation to hire the firm afterward.
Can the family pursue a civil case if criminal charges are pending?
Yes. Civil wrongful death claims generally proceed under the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard rather than the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard used in criminal court.
Our team coordinates timing with the prosecutor's office where the criminal case affects evidence access.
My loved one survived for several weeks before passing. Does that change the case?
Often it changes the structure, not the viability. Utah law treats the death as wrongful when the underlying injury caused it, regardless of how many days or weeks elapsed in between.
The two-year statute typically runs from the date of death. Medical records linking the original injury to the eventual death often drive these cases.
What if my family is not sure whether the death was preventable?
Bring the question to a Salt Lake City wrongful death attorney before deciding. Many wrongful death claims begin with a family that suspected something was wrong but had not yet confirmed it.
A free case review allows our team to look at police reports, medical records, and the available facts and give the family a candid read on whether the law supports a claim.
Begin Your Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Case With Parker & McConkie
A civil case never brings a person back. What it does, when handled with care, is hold a negligent or reckless party answerable in the only currency the legal system allows and place financial ground beneath the people the deceased loved most.
Our Salt Lake City wrongful death lawyers welcome families into a quiet, no-cost first meeting and let the family decide what to do next on its own time.
Speak with a Salt Lake City wrongful death attorney at Parker & McConkie. Call 833-STANDUP, or visit us at 466 S. 500 E., Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, for a free, private case review.
We help everyday people stand up for What's Right.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Salt Lake City, UT
466 S. 500 E., Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Phone: (509) 374-3111
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