We’re so sorry for your loss. When a death is caused by someone else’s carelessness, families are left with grief, bills, and questions no one should have to face alone. For 28 years, Bellevue wrongful death lawyer Rich Martin has stood with families in that position. Our office is here in Bellevue, and we’ll go at your pace.
Bellevue: local facts
- County
- King County
- Court
- King County Superior Court, King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Seattle (crashes in the Seattle case area)
- Major roads
- I-405, I-90, SR 520, Bellevue Way NE, NE 8th Street
- Hospitals
- Overlake Medical Center (Level III trauma center)
- Population
- 158,300 (Washington OFM estimate, April 1, 2026)
- Our office
- Our Bellevue office is in town, at 11811 NE 1st Street.
Help for Bellevue families
A wrongful death claim holds the responsible person or company accountable. It can’t bring your loved one back. But it can cover the money your family has lost and recognize the love and support that’s gone.
We take care of the legal work: the investigation, the insurance companies, the paperwork, and the court filings. You take care of your family.
When a death can lead to a claim
- Crashes on I-405, I-90, SR 520, and city streets, involving cars or commercial trucks. Our Bellevue car crash and Bellevue truck crash pages explain more.
- Drivers who strike someone on foot or on a bike. Our Bellevue pedestrian page covers those cases.
- Dangerous property, such as a collapsed railing or a fall from an unsafe balcony.
- Errors in medical care. See medical malpractice deaths in Bellevue.
Bellevue’s streets saw more serious crashes in 2025, not fewer. That year, the city had 3 traffic deaths and 38 serious injuries, the highest total in ten years (City of Bellevue). Every one of those numbers is a family.
Who can bring the claim
Washington puts one person in charge of the case: the personal representative of the estate (RCW 4.20.010). Any recovery goes to the relatives the statute lists (RCW 4.20.020).
| Relatives | Order |
|---|---|
| Husband, wife, or registered domestic partner, plus children and stepchildren | Come first |
| Mother, father, brothers, and sisters | Included only when the first group is empty |
Read more about who can file a wrongful death lawsuit.
What the claim can cover
| For the family | For your loved one’s own claim |
|---|---|
| The paychecks and support they would have provided | Hospital and doctor bills before they passed |
| Their love, care, and companionship | What they suffered between the injury and death |
| A parent’s guidance that children will miss | Other harms they could have sued for themselves |
| Burial and funeral expenses |
How long the family has
The usual limit is three years, counted from the day your loved one died (RCW 4.16.080). The Washington Supreme Court’s decision in Deggs v. Asbestos Corp. (2016) adds a catch: if the person’s own injury claim had already expired before death, the family’s claim can fail too. A city or county defendant brings its own earlier deadlines (RCW 4.96.020).
You don’t have to decide anything today. But calling early helps us save evidence like video and records.
The first weeks after a loss
- Look after yourselves first.
- Hold on to receipts for the funeral, hospital, travel, and time off work.
- Gather paperwork: the death certificate, the police report, any insurance policies.
- Hold off on signing anything an insurer sends until a lawyer has looked at it.
- Call when you’re ready.
Children and wrongful death
A child who loses a mom or dad loses years of support and guidance, so the claim must look decades ahead. Money for a minor usually needs a judge’s approval, and the court decides how it’s protected until the child is grown. We help the family with each of those steps.
Insurance companies after a death
Within days, an adjuster may call with sympathy and an offer to cover the funeral. Read the fine print. A check can come with a release that gives up the family’s whole claim. Send it to us before you sign. Our review is free.
How we handle a wrongful death case
- A private first conversation, on your schedule.
- A full investigation into what happened and who is to blame.
- A plain explanation of the estate steps, so the personal representative can file.
- A careful count of every loss, built with the family.
- All contact with the insurers, handled by us.
- Trial, when a fair settlement isn’t offered.
The personal representative’s role
This person speaks for the estate. Families often choose a spouse or a grown son or daughter, but a trusted relative or friend can serve too. The role isn’t legal work. That’s ours. The personal representative weighs big choices with the rest of the family, such as whether an offer is fair, and we lay out the options plainly.
Funeral costs right now
The funeral home sends its bill long before any settlement. Save each receipt, because the family can recover those costs. When the death came from a car crash, the deceased person’s own PIP coverage may also help with funeral expenses. We’ll look through every policy.
Where the case would be filed
Most cases settle without a lawsuit. If yours goes to court, an injury that happened in Bellevue is assigned to King County Superior Court’s Seattle case area, so it’s heard in Seattle (King County LCR 82).
Results
Rich has resolved more than one wrongful death case for more than the at-fault party’s policy limits. Past results don’t guarantee future results. Every family’s case is different. Learn about wrongful death settlements in Bellevue and in Washington.
When the death happened at work
If your loved one died on the job, the family may receive survivor benefits through L&I. If someone outside the employer caused the death, like another driver or a contractor, the family may also bring a claim against them (RCW 51.24.030). These claims affect each other, so tell us early.
How long a wrongful death case takes
Expect more time than a typical injury case. Valuing a life’s worth of lost support takes records, experts, and care. A few families see a resolution inside a year. Many cases run longer, and a trial adds more time. You’ll hear from us regularly the whole way.
Grief and the legal process
There’s no right way to grieve, and no right time to call a lawyer. Some families call in the first week. Others wait months. We’ll meet you where you are, explain things in plain words, and never pressure you.
Meet with us in Bellevue
Our office is in the Eastridge Corporate Center at 11811 NE 1st Street, Suite 303, Bellevue, WA 98005, near I-405 and Main Street. Call ahead and we’ll set a time to meet. If you can’t come in, we can talk by phone.
Why Bellevue families choose Rich Martin
- Care and patience. We move at the family’s pace.
- The same lawyer throughout. Rich works on your family’s case personally.
- Results above policy limits in wrongful death cases.
- No Win, No Fee. Without a recovery, the family pays no fee and no costs.
Meet Rich Martin or see our guide to Washington wrongful death claims. If the loss happened in Seattle, visit our Seattle wrongful death lawyer page.
Reach a Bellevue wrongful death lawyer
Whenever your family is ready, so are we. The conversation is confidential and costs nothing. Phone (425) 635-2000 or write to us.
Wrongful Death: results for our clients
Past results don't guarantee future results. Every case is different. See all results →
Your attorney: Rich Martin
28 years. More than 2,000 injury cases. More than 30 jury trials. When you call, you talk to Rich, and he handles your case himself.
About Rich Martin →Questions about Bellevue wrongful death
What does No Win, No Fee mean?
You pay nothing up front. Our fee comes out of the money we win for you. No hourly bills. No retainer. If we don't win, you owe us nothing. Not even the case costs.
Who is allowed to file the lawsuit?
Only the personal representative of the estate (RCW 4.20.010). The recovery belongs to the spouse or partner and children, or to parents or siblings when there are none (RCW 4.20.020).
What's the deadline for a wrongful death claim?
Three years from the death in most cases. A city or county defendant has earlier steps, so reaching out soon is wise.
Must parents or siblings prove they relied on the person financially?
Not anymore. A 2019 law removed that requirement.
The driver was charged with a crime. Does that affect our claim?
The criminal case and the family's civil claim run separately. You can bring the civil claim whatever happens in the criminal case.
Can we meet in person?
Yes. Our office is at 11811 NE 1st Street in Bellevue. Call ahead and we'll set a time.
How do you charge?
No Win, No Fee. There's nothing to pay up front, and if there's no recovery, the family owes no fee and no costs.
Our loved one may have shared the blame. Is there still a claim?
Often there is. Under comparative fault, the recovery is cut by that percentage, not thrown out (RCW 4.22.005).
Will this end up in court?
Most of these cases settle without a trial. If one is needed, we prepare the family for it and stay by your side.
What if the death happened at work?
The family may receive L&I survivor benefits and may also bring a claim against an outside party who caused the death (RCW 51.24.030).
An insurer called us. Should we talk?
Let us talk first. Early offers sometimes include a release that ends the claim. We'll review any paper before you sign.
Talk to a lawyer today. The call is free. Call (425) 635-2000.
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