Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Lawyer

Trusted wrongful death lawyers with over 40 years of experience.

If someone in your family died because of another person’s negligence or reckless conduct, the kind of grief you’re dealing with can make ordinary decisions feel impossible. Between the medical bills that accumulated before the death, the cost of a funeral, and the sudden loss of income your family depended on, the financial pressure builds fast.

Rasmussen & Miner has represented families in wrongful death cases across Utah for more than 40 years. Our Salt Lake City, UT wrongful death lawyer works to hold responsible parties accountable so your family can begin to recover. We offer free consultations, and there is no obligation when you call.

Wrongful Death Lawyer Salt Lake City, UT

What does wrongful death mean in the context of Utah law?

A wrongful death claim is essentially a personal injury case in which the injured person did not survive. It arises when someone dies as a direct result of another party’s negligent, reckless, or intentional actions, and the claim allows surviving family members or the estate’s personal representative to pursue compensation for the losses that follow.

Utah courts recognize wrongful death across many different scenarios, from a car accident to a failure in medical treatment to a hazardous property condition or a defective product. The central legal question is whether the person who died would have had a valid injury claim if they had lived.

Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Salt Lake City

The circumstances behind a wrongful death claim vary widely. Our firm has handled many different types of these cases in Salt Lake City over the past four decades.

• Car accidents. Fatal crashes on Utah roads account for a significant number of wrongful death claims each year, and according to NHTSA fatality data, an estimated 39,345 people died in motor vehicle crashes nationwide in 2024. We pursue these claims against negligent drivers and their insurers.
• Truck accidents. When a semi-truck or large commercial vehicle is involved in a fatal crash, the size difference alone makes the outcome devastating. These cases often involve multiple liable parties, from the driver to the trucking company to maintenance contractors.
• Medical malpractice. A patient’s death caused by a surgeon’s error, a misdiagnosis, a medication mistake, or hospital negligence can form the basis of a wrongful death claim, and these cases typically require detailed medical records review along with physician testimony.
• Pedestrian accidents. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle has almost no physical protection, and distracted or impaired drivers cause many of these fatal collisions in Salt Lake City.
• Motorcycle accidents. Riders face an outsized risk because a collision that might leave a car occupant with moderate injuries can kill a motorcyclist, and we work to hold the at-fault driver accountable when that happens.
• Bicycle accidents. Cyclists are vulnerable on Salt Lake City roads, and a fatal bicycle collision raises serious questions about driver conduct and road safety.
• Premises liability. When a property owner fails to address a dangerous condition and someone dies as a result, whether from a fall, electrocution, or another incident, a wrongful death claim may be warranted.
• Suicide wrongful death. Utah law recognizes wrongful death claims where a third party’s negligence contributed to a person taking their own life, though these cases are complex and require careful legal analysis.
• Defective products. If a fatal injury results from a product that was designed, manufactured, or marketed in a defective way, the companies in that supply chain can be held responsible.
• Workplace fatalities. Deaths from construction site accidents, industrial incidents, and other on-the-job events can support wrongful death claims against third parties whose negligence caused the death.

Salt Lake City Wrongful Death Infographic

Why Choose Rasmussen & Miner for Wrongful Death in Salt Lake City, UT?

Decades of Trial-Ready Experience

Robert C. Miner earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Utah in 1978 and his J.D. from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1981. He has been handling wrongful death, personal injury, medical malpractice, and criminal defense matters in Utah ever since, which adds up to more than four decades of working within this state’s court system and negotiating against the insurers who operate here.

Robert C. Miner knows what it takes to build a wrongful death case that can hold up under pressure from a corporate legal team or an insurer looking for any reason to minimize a payout. Rasmussen & Miner has helped clients recover millions of dollars across personal injury and malpractice cases, and that track record reflects the preparation we bring to every wrongful death matter. If you need a personal injury lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, our firm handles the full range of injury and death claims.

A Firm Built Around the Families We Represent

We are not interested in volume for its own sake. Every family that contacts us about a wrongful death case is going through something genuinely terrible, and we approach each one with the goal of building the strongest case possible while being straightforward about what to expect. We investigate aggressively, bring in the right professionals where needed, and we don’t back away from trial when a fair settlement can’t be reached. Rasmussen & Miner provides free consultations to anyone considering a wrongful death attorney in Salt Lake City.

Understanding Wrongful Death Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Wrongful Death Cases

Utah law provides several categories of compensation in a wrongful death case, covering both the measurable financial losses and the less tangible personal ones. Surviving family members may recover:

• Funeral and burial expenses that the family incurred
• Medical bills accumulated during the decedent’s final treatment
• The income the deceased would have earned over their remaining years
• Loss of the household services the deceased had been providing
• Loss of companionship, consortium, and the emotional relationship between the deceased and the surviving family
• Any pain and suffering the deceased endured before death

To establish liability, the family must show that the defendant owed a duty of care, breached it, and that the breach directly caused the death. Utah uses a modified comparative negligence system, which means the family can still recover even if the deceased was partially at fault, so long as that person’s share of fault stays below 50 percent. The total compensation is reduced by whatever percentage of responsibility is assigned to the deceased.

What Are Important Aspects of a Wrongful Death Case?

There are several practical and legal considerations that shape a wrongful death case in Utah.

• Not everyone has the legal right to file. Under Utah law, the claim can be brought by the deceased’s heirs, which generally means the surviving spouse, children, and parents, or by the personal representative of the estate.
• Preserving evidence matters from the start, because medical records, accident reports, and witness accounts become harder to obtain as time passes.
• It is not unusual for more than one defendant to share liability, as a fatal truck accident might involve the driver, the trucking company, and a third-party maintenance provider.
• Insurers tend to act quickly after a death, and their early offers often fall well short of what the claim is worth, which is why having an attorney involved from the outset matters.

What Is the Wrongful Death Case Timeline?

No two wrongful death cases follow the same schedule, but it helps to understand the general phases.

• The attorney begins investigating and collecting evidence as soon as the family retains the firm, and this stage can last from a few weeks to several months depending on the complexity.
• Once the investigation is complete, a demand is sent to the at-fault parties or their insurance carriers, and settlement negotiations may begin.
• If those negotiations don’t produce a fair outcome, the next step is filing a lawsuit, which opens up formal discovery, depositions, and often court-ordered mediation.
• Trial preparation and the trial itself can add months, and from start to finish a wrongful death case in Utah may take several months to more than two years.
• Many cases do resolve through settlement before trial, and the timeline depends on the complexity of the liability and damages questions.

What Should You Bring to Your Wrongful Death Consultation?

Gathering these documents before your first meeting will help us evaluate the case more efficiently.

• The death certificate along with any autopsy or medical examiner report
• Medical records and bills from the decedent’s final injury or illness
• Any accident or incident report filed by law enforcement or another agency
• Insurance policy information for the deceased and any potentially liable party
• Records showing the decedent’s income, employment, and financial contributions to the family

Your consultation at Rasmussen & Miner is free. We will walk through the facts of your situation, explain how the process works, and give you our honest assessment of whether a wrongful death claim makes sense. You do not have to wait until you’ve gathered every document to reach out.

What Are Important Utah Legal Resources for Wrongful Death Cases?

Utah has specific statutes governing wrongful death, and these resources can help you find the relevant law.

• The Utah State Legislature publishes the full text of the wrongful death statute, which covers who has standing to file and the legal basis for these claims.
• The statute of limitations for wrongful death in Utah is two years from the date of death, though claims against government entities must be filed within one year.
• Utah’s modified comparative negligence rule reduces a claimant’s recovery by their share of fault and bars recovery entirely if that share reaches 50 percent or more.
• The Utah State Courts website has self-help resources for individuals navigating civil court procedures.
• CDC injury data identifies unintentional injuries as a leading cause of death nationally, reflecting how common preventable fatalities remain.

Reach Out to Rasmussen & Miner to Schedule a Consultation

If your family lost someone because another party was negligent, Rasmussen & Miner is here to help you understand what options the law provides. We offer free consultations for wrongful death cases, and our wrongful death attorneys in Salt Lake City are prepared to pursue your claim through every stage. Contact us to set up a time to talk about your case.