On Monday Oakland made national headlines when a shocking fatal attack occurred at the small Christian college Oikos University. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the gunman was 43-year-old One Goh, a disgruntled former student. Goh allegedly went to the school to target a female school administrator that he believed had played a role in his dismissal from the school. When Goh realized that the administrator was not on the campus he began randomly shooting into classrooms and offices, killing seven people and leaving others injured.
Goh fled the scene and was arrested an hour and a half after the shooting in a Safeway store in the nearby city of Alameda. The allegedly mentally unstable Goh had approached a customer service counter at the store and stated he had just shot several people. Goh was booked at the Santa Rita Jail on Tuesday on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. If he is charged with multiple murders he will be eligible for the death penalty or life without parole.
When a loved one is lost under such unimaginable circumstances it is difficult to think about anything, much less whether their death was the result of another’s negligence. The focus of all those affected by this and similar tragedies needs to on remembering the loved one and mourning the loss.
However, whenever a loved one passes away because of the conduct of another, there comes a time to reflect and consider what can be learned from the tragedy to ensure others don’t suffer in similar ways in the future. In these situations, in order to ensure that your legal rights are protected and to demand accountability it is vital to contact a Bay Area wrongful death attorney. It is important to not delay because in California there are strict statutory time limits regarding wrongful death matters.
A wrongful death is a death that is caused by the negligence or misconduct of another person or company. The death can arise out of an accident, an intentional act of violence, malpractice/negligence, or defective products. California Civil Code § 377 lays out the specific parties that are eligible to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. Generally, such cases are brought on behalf of the deceased by a spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent.
Although a lost family member can never be replaced, California wrongful death lawyers can help the family of the victim secure compensation for the impact of the death. Compensation in these situations includes awards for direct economic costs and for intangible loss. Some examples of direct economic costs that can be compensated for are the deceased’s earnings, loss of future benefits, funeral and burial costs. Intangible losses include loss of companionship, loss of love, and the survivor’s pain and suffering.
If you have questions about a wrongful death or personal injury case, contact a San Francisco wrongful death attorney at Brod Law Firm. With years of experience in handling these cases we can help you through this difficult time, ensuring that redress and accountability are had.
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