Your family deserves answers. An Orlando wrongful death lawyer who listens.
An Orlando wrongful death lawyer helps a family hold someone accountable when their negligence takes a loved one’s life in Florida. Under the Florida Wrongful Death Act, the estate’s personal representative brings one claim for the family and the estate. We carry the legal work so you can grieve. No fee unless we recover.
Grief shouldn’t come with paperwork and phone calls
We’re deeply sorry for your loss. In the weeks after a death, families face funeral costs, lost income and insurers who want a quick, quiet settlement, all while trying to simply get through each day.
The early call
An adjuster calls with condolences and questions. What you say can be used to limit the claim.
The quick settlement
An offer arrives before anyone knows what your loved one’s support and companionship were worth.
Evidence slips away
Vehicle data, video, maintenance records and witness memories fade without a fast investigation.
What waiting can cost you
The two-year deadline
Most Florida wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the death.
Who can bring it
Only the personal representative can file, so the estate needs to be set up correctly.
Lost income
The household may lose a paycheck and the care your loved one provided.
Shared-fault arguments
Insurers may blame the person who died to cut what they pay.
The insurance company has a team. Now you do too.
Get my free case reviewFlorida law, in plain words
How a Florida wrongful death claim works
Florida’s Wrongful Death Act lets a family recover when a death is caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongful act. The rules on who files and who can recover what are specific, so getting them right early matters.
The personal representative files
The claim is brought by the personal representative of the estate, named in the will or appointed by the court, on behalf of the survivors and the estate.
Who counts as a survivor
The spouse, children and parents, plus blood relatives and adopted siblings who were partly or wholly dependent on the person for support or services.
What survivors can recover
Lost support and services, lost companionship and protection, and mental pain and suffering, depending on each survivor’s relationship.
What the estate can recover
Medical and funeral expenses paid by the estate, and the savings your loved one would likely have built over their lifetime.
Separate from any criminal case
A civil wrongful death claim can go forward whether or not anyone is charged or convicted, and it uses a lower standard of proof.
Time to file
2 years
Most Florida wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the date of death. Claims involving government agencies or medical care have their own rules, so it helps to talk early.
Central Florida families
Wrongful death cases we handle
Most of the wrongful death cases we see in Central Florida start on the road, but they can come from anywhere someone failed to keep people safe. In each one, we investigate quickly, preserve the evidence and find every insurance policy that applies.
Car and motorcycle crashes
Drunk, distracted and speeding drivers on I-4, the toll roads and neighborhood streets.
Truck and commercial vehicle crashes
Tractor-trailers, delivery vans and work vehicles, where the company and its insurer may share responsibility.
Pedestrian and drowning deaths
People hit while walking, and children and adults lost in pools without proper barriers or supervision.
Unsafe property
Falls, poor security and dangerous conditions that an owner knew about and didn’t fix.
What a wrongful death claim can cover
Nothing replaces the person you lost. A claim can protect your family’s financial future and hold the responsible party accountable. Florida divides damages between survivors and the estate.
- Medical bills from the final injury and funeral and burial costs
- The financial support your loved one would have provided
- The household services and care they would have given
- Lost companionship, guidance and protection
- Mental pain and suffering for a spouse, and for children or parents as Florida law allows
- The savings your loved one would likely have left to the estate
Proof, not promises
Real people, real results
Recovered for a Central Florida family
[$X]
[Case type and year: one sentence on what happened and what the recovery provided for the family.]
Every case is different. Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome.
“After we lost my husband, I couldn’t think straight. Sunshine handled everything with so much kindness and made sure my kids are taken care of.”
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Three simple steps
How we help your family, in three steps
- 1
Talk with us privately
A free, confidential conversation with an attorney, in English or Spanish, at your home, our office or by video, when you’re ready.
- 2
We handle the estate and the investigation
We help set up the personal representative, preserve the evidence, find every policy and take every insurer call.
- 3
We pursue accountability
We build the full picture of your family’s loss, demand what you’re owed and negotiate hard. If no one will be fair, we’re ready for trial.
Where your family ends up
Before
- Overwhelmed and in pain
- Alone against the insurance company
- Treated like a claim number
With Sunshine
- Informed at every step
- Protected by a team that fights for you
- Back on your feet
Financial security
Lost income and support replaced, so the future isn’t a worry.
Accountability
The responsible party answers for what they did.
Answers
A clear account of what happened and why.
Room to grieve
No insurer calls. Time with the people who matter.
Every case is different. Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome.
Our promise
We treat your case as if it were our own.
What it costs, and why Sunshine
Wrongful death attorneys who carry the weight for you
After losing a loved one, most Florida families are left facing insurers and court rules while they grieve. Sunshine State Law Firm takes on that fight with compassion and keeps you informed every step of the way, so you can focus on your family. No fee unless we recover for you.
- No fee unless we recover for you. The percentage is in writing before you sign, along with the Statement of Client’s Rights Florida requires.
- You’ll always know who’s handling your case, with updates by text, email and phone.
- Hablamos español, from the first call to the final check.
- No question is a dumb question. We explain every step in plain words.
Guides for families
Florida personal injury statute of limitations, explained
Florida’s personal injury statute of limitations is now generally 2 years. See deadlines by claim type, key exceptions and why waiting can hurt your case.
Read the guide
How to handle stress during a personal injury case
How to handle stress during a personal injury case in Florida: what causes it, simple ways to cope, what your lawyer handles and when to get support.
Read the guide
Personal injury legal terms: a plain-language glossary
A personal injury legal terms glossary in plain English: PIP, negligence, comparative fault, statute of limitations and settlement under Florida law.
Read the guide
Questions families ask us about wrongful death
No question is a dumb question. Here are the ones we hear most.
Only the personal representative of the estate, named in the will or appointed by the court. They bring one claim on behalf of the survivors, such as the spouse, children and parents, and the estate. We help families with that step.
Survivors may recover lost support and services, lost companionship and protection, and mental pain and suffering, depending on their relationship. The estate may recover medical and funeral expenses it paid and lost savings.
It depends on the case. Florida law limits pain-and-suffering damages for adult children in some situations, such as medical malpractice deaths when there is no surviving spouse. We explain what applies in your family’s case.
No. A wrongful death claim is a separate civil case and can move forward whether or not criminal charges are filed. The civil case uses a lower standard of proof.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee: our fee is a percentage of what we recover, and you owe no attorney’s fee if we don’t recover. The percentage and how case costs are handled are in a written agreement you see before you sign.
Generally two years from the date of death. Claims against government agencies and claims involving medical care have their own notice and timing rules, so it helps to talk with an attorney early.
Florida injury deadlines, explainedTell us your story. We’ll take it from here.
A free, personal conversation with an attorney. No pressure, no fee unless we recover for you.
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