San Francisco, California Wrongful Death Attorneys & Lawyers

Walkup - Wrongful Death Attorneys

650 California Street 26th Floor San Francisco, California 94108 USA

 (415) 981-7210 or (888) 732-8897

www.wrongfuldeath-law.com
 Contact the Firm

Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, established in 1959, is one of the premier wrongful death firms in the western United States. For over five decades our wrongful death attorneys have successfully represented injured victims, heirs and survivors. As leaders in the area of wrongful death litigation, our attorneys have helped shape liability law, while securing hundreds of millions of dollars in financial compensation for survivors.

We represent clients of diverse backgrounds who have suffered serious and catastrophic losses, and family members of loved ones lost in accidents throughout California and Nevada. Our practice is, and always has been, dedicated to representing injured plaintiffs survivors. We do not represent insurance companies or corporations, and we do not represent defendants in wrongful death litigation. Our goal is getting justice for surviving husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters and securing financial compensation to make them whole.

In the early 1960's when only a few national firms were competent to handle complex medical, product liability, automobile and aviation wrongful death litigation, our firm was at the forefront. Through the 1970's and 80's important victories establishing the rights of consumers followed. Our partners successfully represented survivors against General Motors and Ford for defective fuel tanks and fuel fed vehicle fires; we successfully pursued claims against Goodyear, Goodrich and Firestone for accidents caused by bad tire design and compounding defects; we obtained recovery for victims of government wrongdoing against the United States Government, the State of California, and local public entities for injurious conduct in public hospitals, on public roads and highways, and as a result of negligent and reckless conduct by police and sheriffs. When the earliest claims were made against drug makers and manufacturers for dangerous drugs and medical devices we were again on the front lines.

In the 1990's we paved the way for automobile safety with successful recoveries against Ford, General Motors, Honda, Toyota and other automakers who were not doing all they could to provide for passenger safety, crash worthiness, and vehicle stability. We prosecuted actions against the makers of dangerous medical devices and drugs, including the makers of silicone breast implants, Rezulin, Fen-Pfen, Baycol, and Sulzer hip implants. We represented the surviving children of seniors in elder abuse cases against unscrupulous nursing facilities and retirement centers. We represented parents who lost babies as a result of obstetrical negligence.

In the 2000's we have been at the forefront of protecting consumers from defective drugs like Vioxx, unstable and roll-over prone SUV's, medical devices that cause harm and recreational products that kill.

Through it all we have not forgotten the philosophy upon which Bruce Walkup founded the firm. Almost fifty years later, we remain among the top trial firms in the United States and our wrongful death lawyers continue to obtain seven and eight figure verdicts for our clients.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Children's Deaths; Nursing Home Deaths; Kaiser Hospital Negligence; Fatal Drug Reactions; Dangerous Toys; Property Owner Wrongdoing; Defective Automobiles; Lethal Medical Products; Machine Failures; Toxic Household Products; Scaffold Falls; Poisonous Chemicals; Government Liability; Police Misconduct

Practice Areas Description

Our practice areas include:

- Fatal Auto Accidents

When a loved one is killed in a car accident, motorcycle accident or pedestrian collision, survivors have a claim against the wrongdoer and the wrongdoer's insurance company. The California wrongful death specialists at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger make certain that the responsible insurance companies or corporate defendant pay what they owe. Our team of wrongful death lawyers make certain that the clients are not short changed. In California and Nevada, survivors must prove fault in order to succeed in any claim against the other driver's insurance company. To obtain the benefits your family needs, you need a lawyer who is a seasoned investigator, tough negotiator and a skillful trial lawyer.

- Medical Malpractice Wrongful Death

For more than 45 years, the Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, California medical malpractice wrongful death lawyers, have helped families deal with the legal and financial realities that surround the death of a loved one. When the death comes at the hands of health professionals, it is especially difficult for survivors to understand.

- Deadly Fires and Explosions

Fires caused by carelessness pose a grave risk of death. Between one and two million Americans need medical attention for burn injuries every year. Four thousand five hundred Americans will die from burn trauma in 2007. Two Americans die of a burn-related injury every three hours. The California burn injury specialists and wrongful death attorneys at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger have represented the survivors of parents, spouses, children and domestic partners killed in accidental house fires, commercial fires, industrial explosions and work-related tragedies.

- Children's Deaths

Our team of California child death injury attorneys have represented parents whose children have been killed by unsafe swimming pools, dangerous toys and dangerous playground equipment. The makers of defective products, including faulty car seats and strollers, flammable children's clothing are also common defendants in causing the needless deaths of children. The misdiagnosis of an illness or negligent treatment of an illness are examples of medical malpractice that may cause the negligent death of children. Our team of attorneys understands that the death of a child produces emotional, physical, overwhelming and unexpected pain, grief and loss.

- Aviation Crashes

Aviation accidents and fatal plane crashes occur in a number of different situations. Most commonly, crashes involve commercial airliners, but many fatalities also occur in private airplanes and helicopters. At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our California aviation crash wrongful death specialists include a former Navy pilot who has special skills in the area of aviation, and more than 30 years experience in the trial of fatal airliner, private plane and helicopter accidents.

- SUV Rollovers

Many drivers feel safe when driving an SUV. However, in recent years many SUV accidents that should have been minor turned out to be fatal. SUV manufacturers have designed, made, and sold cars that are unstable, dangerous and not crashworthy. If a loved one died in an SUV rollover accident, talk to lawyers who understand the engineering design flaws that caused your loved one's death. At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our California lawyers have handled fatal SUV rollover accidents against Ford, G.M., Toyota and other manufacturers.

- Nursing Home Deaths

Many elderly people rely on others to care for their health needs and daily living. With medical advances and a growing elderly population, some nursing homes are overcrowded and attempt to save money and maximize profit by understaffing or by employing unqualified staff. Under these conditions, our most vulnerable loved ones can be subjected to inadequate care, sometimes ending in tragic fatalities. Nursing home deaths can result from a variety of conditions, including malnutrition, dehydration, infections, bedsores, medication errors, falls, fractures, and failures to medicate or monitor.

- Kaiser Hospital Negligence

If a loved one has died because of negligence at a Kaiser Permanente clinic or hospital, you need a team of California lawyers who know the Kaiser system and will fight for your interests. At the Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger Kaiser malpractice wrongful death law firm, we know that this is a difficult time for you and your family. You need a law firm that understands wrongful death damages and knows how to handle the complexities of dealing with the Kaiser arbitration process.

- Fatal Drug Reactions

Each year, pharmaceutical companies bring new and untested products to the market. Some of these products have been adequately tested and, because of scientific advances, they can enable people to live longer happier lives. Unfortunately, some have not been adequately designed or tested. Experience teaches us that drug manufacturers, in their aggressive marketing for the sake of profit, oftentimes ignore harmful side effects of otherwise beneficial drugs. As a result, many consumers are hurt each year by drugs that create more human pain and suffering than they relieve. In these types of cases, the lawyers of The Walkup Law Firm are available to represent the families of those who died as a result of unsafe drugs.

- Fatal Truck Accidents

When an 80,000-pound big rig crashes into a passenger car, bicyclist or pedestrian the injuries are catastrophic and often fatal. If you have a loved one who died in a tractor-trailer accident, you know how a family's life can change in a moment. At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our San Francisco, California fatal truck accident lawyers help families cope with the legal and financial issues involved in a fatal 18-wheeler accident.

- Dangerous Toys

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned or recalled many dangerous toys - there were over 100 recalls in 2005 alone. Still, many hazardous toys remain on store shelves, and innocent children are killed each year by the negligence of toy manufacturers. The wrongful death lawyers at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger have experience in representing the parents of children who have been killed as a result of dangerous or defective toys.

- Property Owner Wrongdoing

All property owners have the duty and obligation to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe manner. That includes keeping walkways, stairways and balconies well-lit and in good repair; protecting against the foreseeable criminal acts of others; conducting appropriate inspections and maintenance; making certain that elevators, escalators and moving walkways are regularly serviced and inspected; eliminating slip and fall or trip and fall hazards on floors; posting appropriate warnings at recreational facilities including swimming pools and playing fields. At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our California wrongful death premises liability specialists can help assess the merits of your case, and obtain for you the compensation you deserve.

- Defective Automobiles

At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our California attorneys have handled auto defects claims and lawsuits for families whose loved ones have died in crashes against almost all of the major auto manufacturers. Sometimes the design is at fault. Sometimes the manufacturer didn't want to spend the few cents or a dollar that a safe alternative would have cost. At other times, the manufacturing process or materials are faulty. Whatever the case, the manufacturer should have exercised greater care.

- Lethal Medical Products

Our device and instrument product liability group represents the survivors of deceased patients whose deaths were the result of defective medical products. Successful claims against the makers of medical instruments, prosthetic devices and implants involve multiple experts, exhaustive investigation, and significant financial resources. At Walkup, our attorneys have the experience, resources and network of medical experts and investigators to successfully pursue such claims, whether the claim is on behalf of an individual client or a group (or a class) of plaintiffs injured by the same device.

- Machine Failures

When a worker or by stander is killed as the result of defectively designed equipment, poorly maintained machinery, general contractor neglect, or negligence in placement and operation, the surviving heirs need representation by wrongful death attorneys who are specialized in the field. The California industrial worker death and machine fatality lawyers at Walkup, Melodia are familiar with the needs of those who are left behind when a machine operator, bystander, or other person is killed. Industrial machinery in factories, at construction sites, or present at building projects have obvious and hidden dangers. Manufacturers, owners, operators and maintainers have a responsibility to protect workers and the public from fatal risks that are not of their making.

- Toxic Household Products

If you have lost a loved one because of fatal complications from exposure to a household product, a dangerous chemical compound, or a toxic poison, call the California wrongful death specialists at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. It is critical that you seek legal representation quickly in time after any death. Any lapse in time will complicate the task of proving medical causation between exposure and illness. The California product liability wrongful death lawyers at Walkup can offer you a wealth of experience and resources. Our network of experts and experience derived from more than 50 years of practice in this area of law enable us to present complex scientific evidence to a jury in a persuasive manner.

- Scaffold Falls

Construction sites, remodeling projects, roofing jobs, painting projects and other work sites that use scaffolds and other construction equipment can present fatal risks and great dangers. A fall caused by a defective scaffold can cause death. The family's losses can be extraordinary - the loss of financial support, health insurance, pension, comfort and companionship, lost wages, a future of lost opportunity. If your family has suffered such a loss, talk to the Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger California construction accident law firm. Our scaffolding falls and wrongful death lawyers can help your family deal with the legal and financial matters you are facing.

- Poisonous Chemicals

If you or a loved one has been exposed to a toxic chemical, whether at home or at work, the California wrongful death lawyers at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger are here to help you. For more than 50 years we have investigated and successfully prosecuted cases involving exposure to deadly chemicals, whether at home, at work, or elsewhere. Some of these chemicals have the ability not just to cause lethal harm to the initial person exposed, but also to the individual's family when contaminated clothing is taken home.

- Government Liability

When someone is killed on public property, whether because of the negligence of a government or public employee, or a dangerous condition of public property, a government can be liable for wrongful death damages. This is true whether the dangerous condition or negligent conduct is traced to a State employee, a city, a county, a school district, water district or hospital board or other public entity. The California wrongful death law specialists at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger have concluded more than 500 cases in the last 50 years against various public entities, including, the City and County of San Francisco, San Mateo County, Marin County, Alameda County, Sonoma County, the Golden Gate Bridge Transit District, the State of California, SamTrans, Caltrans, the San Francisco Water Department, the California Highway Patrol, the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Postal Service, and the United States Government.

- Police Misconduct

Police officers are only authorized to use force that corresponds to situational demands. When a police officer negligently discharges his weapon, applies an improper submission hold, or uses an excessive amount of force that results in death, the victims family has the right to bring a wrongful death claim as well an action for the violation of the victim's civil rights. 42 U.S.C. §1983, allows individuals to bring suits in federal courts for civil rights violations. The consequences of police misconduct can be grave. Wrongful shootings, as well as "less lethal" weapons like Tasers and Mace have caused many deaths. Certain methods of restraint and transportation have been linked to fatalities. The police misconduct lawyers at Walkup Melodia understand what it takes to tackle a case against the police, sheriff or highway patrol.

Attorneys

	Mr. Michael A. Kelly Attorney Automotive, Brain Injury, Catastrophic Injuries, Medical Malpractice, Premises Liability		Mr. Paul V. Melodia Attorney Aviation Law, Health Care and Social, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Wrongful Death
	Mr. Richard H. Schoenberger Attorney Aviation Law, Brain Injury, Medical Malpractice, Product Liability, Wrongful Death

More Information on Walkup - Wrongful Death Attorneys

Fatal Auto Accident Attorney in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, California Medical Malpractice Lawyers
San Francisco, California Wrongful Death Attorneys
Truck Accident Lawyers in San Francisco, California
Child Death Law Firm in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
San Francisco, California Fire Accident Death Attorneys
San Francisco, California SUV Rollover Death Lawyers
Walkup - Wrongful Death Attorneys Blog
Contact Walkup - Wrongful Death Attorneys