Losing Someone You Love To Someone Else's Negligence
There's no fixing what happened, and we won't pretend otherwise. What we can do is carry the legal side, gently and carefully, so your family has room to grieve while someone makes sure the people responsible are held to account.
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- No fee unless we recover for your family
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You Don't Have To Carry The Legal Part Alone
If you're reading this, your family is living through something no one should have to. We're sorry. A wrongful death case will never bring your person back, and we'd never suggest that a claim is about closure or moving on. What it's really about is two practical things: making sure the family is not left to absorb costs that someone else caused, and making sure the people who were careless answer for it so another family is spared the same call.
A wrongful death claim in Nevada is simply the civil case the law gives a family when negligence or a wrongful act takes a life. The cause can be anything. A crash on US-95 or the 215 Beltway, a fall on unsafe property, a workplace tragedy at a Clark County job site, a preventable medical error, or a violent act that a property owner should have guarded against. Whatever happened, the legal questions follow a similar shape, and that's the shape we handle.
You're not deciding anything today. Read what helps, set the rest aside, and reach out only when you're ready. When you do, you'll talk with Erik Severino himself, a licensed Nevada attorney since 2006, not a call center.
"Great attorney office, professional."
The Proof Of What Happened Starts Disappearing Fast
We say this gently, because the last thing a grieving family should worry about is evidence. That's exactly why we'd rather carry it for you. The record that shows how your loved one died, and who let it happen, is strongest right after the loss and gets weaker every week.
The Official Reports
The crash report, the coroner's findings, the OSHA file, or the police record. These pin down the timeline and name who was responsible while memories are still fresh.
Physical Proof
Photos of the scene, the vehicle, the property, or the equipment. We send preservation letters fast so a company cannot quietly repair or discard what matters.
Records And Witnesses
Medical records, employment and earnings history, and statements from people who saw what happened or knew your loved one's role in the family.
This is where a lawyer earns the work early. We can request the official file from the agency that investigated, whether that's Metro, the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Clark County Coroner, or the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations for a workplace death. We send legal holds to companies and property owners so they can't repair a defect, wipe a security recording, or scrap a vehicle before it's examined. On a road like Boulder Highway or near the Spaghetti Bowl where US-95 meets I-15, intersection and business cameras may hold the answer, but most of them record over their footage within days. When a loved one was rushed to a trauma center like UMC, Sunrise, or St. Rose Dominican before passing, the hospital's records and the timeline of care often matter too, and those have to be requested the right way. The sooner someone asks for what counts in writing, the more likely it survives.
Two Sides Of The Same Case Under Nevada Law
Nevada's wrongful death statute, NRS 41.085, is built around two groups, and understanding the split helps the whole case make sense. The first group is the heirs. That generally means the surviving spouse and the children, and in some situations a parent of the person who died. The heirs bring their own claim for the very human losses: the grief, the missing companionship, and the support the person would have provided. Whether a particular relative counts as an heir depends on the family, so it's one of the first questions we sort out.
The second is the estate, which acts through a personal representative. The estate's claim covers the losses that belonged to your loved one and to the estate itself, such as the final medical bills and the funeral and burial costs. Often one family member ends up wearing both hats, and the two claims are pursued together as a single case. Sorting out who is an heir, who should serve as the representative, and how the pieces fit is one of the first things we handle so the family does not have to puzzle through it during the worst weeks of their lives.
If children are involved, there are extra protections built into Nevada practice. A court typically reviews how a minor's portion is held so it's safeguarded until they're grown. We coordinate that quietly, and we keep it simple. You can read more about how we work with families on our personal injury overview, and if your loss happened on the job, our work injury page covers how a job site death intersects with this claim.
Two Claims, Brought Side By Side
Nevada's wrongful death statute splits into two claims that are usually pursued together as a single case. Here is who brings each one, and what each is meant to cover.
The heirs
The heirs bring their own claim for the human losses: grief and sorrow, lost companionship, and the support your loved one would have provided. This recovery is shielded from the person's debts.
- Surviving spouse
- Children, or their children
- Parents
- Siblings
Set by who would inherit under Nevada law, so one family may include several heirs.
The personal representative
One person, appointed to act for the estate, brings the claim for losses that belonged to your loved one and to the estate itself.
- Final medical bills from before the death
- Funeral and burial costs
- Any penalties or punitive damages your loved one could have recovered
The decedent's own pain and suffering is handled on the heirs' side under Nevada's statute, not here.
Often one person is both an heir and the personal representative, and the two claims move forward together. Nevada generally gives a family two years from the date of death to file (NRS 11.190(4)(e)). We sort out who serves in which role early, so the family does not have to.
Two Tracks: The Family's Loss And The Estate's Loss
Nevada keeps the heirs' losses and the estate's losses separate on purpose. It's a respectful way of recognizing that a death takes something from the people left behind and also leaves behind real bills. Here's how those pieces break down.
For The Heirs
Grief, sorrow, and the loss of your loved one's companionship, comfort, and guidance. This is recovered by the surviving family members the law recognizes as heirs.
Lost Support
The income and household help your loved one would have provided over a lifetime, including the wages they would likely have earned had they lived.
For The Estate
Medical bills from the final injury, funeral and burial costs, and certain damages the law lets the estate pursue on behalf of the person who died.
Held Accountable
Where the conduct was especially reckless, Nevada law may allow added damages meant to punish the wrongdoer and discourage the same harm to another family.
We don't reduce a person to a spreadsheet, and we won't toss out a figure to win your call. What we do is build the support track carefully, often with an economist who can show what a lifetime of earnings and household contribution would have meant for the family. The grief and companionship side is harder to count and just as real, and presenting it honestly is a large part of the work. If you want a fuller picture of how compensation comes together across injury cases, our catastrophic injury page walks through the same ideas in detail.
The Harm That Most Often Takes A Life
Many wrongful death cases trace back to a catastrophic injury that the body could not survive: a severe head injury, a damaged spinal cord, internal bleeding, deep burns, or complications from major trauma. Sometimes death comes hours or days later, after a fight in the hospital. When a loved one was seriously hurt before passing, our pages on brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and burn injuries explain the medical and legal ground those cases share with a wrongful death claim.
A Steady Person On The Other End Of The Phone
In a wrongful death case you should not be handed off to a rotating cast of strangers. Erik handles these matters himself, from the first quiet call through the resolution. He's been a licensed Nevada attorney since 2006, and he treats a grieving family the way he'd want his own treated.
No Fee Unless We Win
Nothing up front and nothing out of pocket. Our fee comes from the recovery, and we go over case costs with you first.
Available When You're Ready
Call days, nights, weekends, and holidays. There's no rush and no pressure. Hablamos Español.
Local To Henderson And Las Vegas
We know the Clark County agencies, the courts, and the roads. You can sit across a desk from your attorney.
"I would highly recommend Mr. Severino. He was always there to answer any questions or concerns I had, he responded very quickly to emails and made sure I was alway taken care of.I am very grateful to have found this awsome law office of Erik Servino. Once again Thank you."
How The Process Unfolds, At Your Pace
You won't have to manage the steps. This is how we move a case forward while you tend to your family.
A Quiet First Call
We listen, answer your questions, and tell you honestly whether there's a claim. No pressure either way.
We Secure the Proof
Official files, preservation letters, records, and witness accounts, gathered before anything fades.
We Build the Claim
We sort out the heirs and the estate, value the losses, and prepare the case the right way.
We Press for Accountability
We negotiate firmly and file suit if needed, keeping you informed without overwhelming you.
It helps to know how the other side usually plays it, so it doesn't catch you off guard. An insurer or company adjuster may reach out early, sounding warm and sympathetic, and float a quick payment. That number is almost always built to close the file before anyone understands the full loss, and accepting it can sign away rights the family didn't know it had. They may also try to shift blame onto the person who died, since that person isn't here to answer. None of that has to be handled by you. Let us field those calls. If your loss came from a collision, our fatal crash page and our truck accident page describe how these tactics play out on the road, and how we counter them.
Under NRS 11.190, a wrongful death lawsuit usually must be filed within two years, typically from the date of death. If a government agency or public entity is involved, a special claim procedure can apply. There's no need to rush a decision, but a short, early call protects the family's options.
If Your Loss Began With A Specific Injury Or Cause
A wrongful death often grows out of a severe injury or a particular kind of incident. These pages cover the ground that overlaps with your family's case.
Wrongful Death Questions, Answered Plainly
Where To Go From Here
When you're ready, reach out. We'll listen, tell you honestly whether your family has a claim, and explain what it would take to pursue it. There's no cost to talk, and no obligation that comes from a phone call.
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(702) 360-5000Reach Out When You're Ready
Share only what you're comfortable with. We'll respond with care.
Thank You For Reaching Out
We will be in touch gently and soon. For immediate help call (702) 360-5000.