Irvine Opioid Overdose and Wrongful Death Lawyer

Opioid medications are frequently prescribed in Irvine to assist with pain control. However, these drugs are dangerous and could lead to numerous conditions that often result in death.

If someone you love recently succumbed to an opioid addiction or overdose, an Irvine opioid overdose and wrongful death lawyer might be able to assist you in recovering compensation on their behalf.

Understanding Opioid Overdoses

Opioids provide relief of moderate to severe pain by binding to opioid receptor sites in the brain, making the patient unable to feel pain or to feel as much pain as they would without the medication. Opioids are distributed by prescription only, leading some people to falsely believe that they are safe to use and come without and risks. However, this is simply not true. Like any drug, opioids pose a risk if abused.

In addition to blocking the pain receptor sites in the brain, opioid drugs reduce the rate of respiration, causing problems with oxygen intake and carbon dioxide expulsion in the brain stem. When the brain cannot intake enough oxygen and expel enough carbon dioxide, death quickly occurs. This is why patients receiving opioid medications in the hospital require and receive frequent monitoring.

How Can Opioids affect People Differently?

Opioid overdoses vary from one patient to the next. A patient with a faster metabolism, who weighs more, and is younger is likely to tolerate a higher dose at one time than someone older, who does not weight as much, and has a slow metabolism. A patient’s individual body chemistry also plays a role in their risk for an opioid overdose.

Regardless of the biochemistry of these events, a death as a result from opioids is something that could have been prevented. An opioid overdose and wrongful death lawyer in Irvine could help surviving family bring a case against negligent parties.

Irvine Wrongful Death Laws

California’s wrongful death laws are found in the California Code of Civil Procedure §337.60. A wrongful death is defined as a death that arises when someone dies as a result of the negligence or wrongful act of another person or party.

Drug manufacturers and sometimes pharmacists and doctors could be held liable for the wrongful death of a patient from an opioid overdose. People who have questions about an opioid overdose and how a wrongful death lawyer in Irvine could help should schedule a consultation with a skilled attorney.

Who Could File a Wrongful Death Claim in Irvine?

In California, the following people have a legal right to bring a wrongful death claim:

  • The living spouse of the deceased
  • The living domestic partner of the deceased
  • The living children of the deceased

If none of these people exist, anyone who would be entitled to the property of the decedent such as the deceased’s parents, or the deceased’s siblings, depending on who is living at the time of the deceased person’s death, could file a wrongful death lawsuit. An Irvine opioid overdose and wrongful death attorney could help the loved ones of the deceased determine who is best fit to file the lawsuit.

Help from an Irvine Opioid Overdose Wrongful Death Attorney

Losing a loved one to the negligence of another party is shocking and senseless. When that irresponsible person had a duty to help and not hurt the deceased, they should be held liable for their actions.

If you need to learn more about your legal rights after the death of a family member, an opioid overdose and wrongful death lawyer in Irvine could help. Pick up the phone and call today. A case evaluation could help you determine if your case has merit and how much it might be worth.