Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawyer
Wrongful death cases often arise from fatal accidents, medical errors, unsafe property conditions, or other preventable incidents. Blair & Ramirez LLP represents families throughout Los Angeles, providing clarity on legal rights, timelines, and available options under California law. Understanding these issues early can help families make informed decisions during an overwhelming time. Contact Blair & Ramirez LLP for a free consultation to discuss your wrongful death case and explore the next steps.
Losing someone you love in a preventable incident can turn your world upside down. Along with grief, many families are left with unanswered questions, what happened, who is responsible, and how to protect the people who depended on that person.
At Blair & Ramirez LLP, our Los Angeles wrongful death lawyers represent families across Los Angeles County involving fatal car crashes, dangerous property conditions, workplace incidents, and other tragedies caused by negligence. Our role is to handle the legal pressure, investigating what happened, identifying all responsible parties, and managing communications with insurers and defense lawyers, so you don’t have to carry that burden on your own.
We can help your family understand the options that may be available, including potential compensation for financial support your loved one provided, funeral and burial expenses, and the loss of companionship and care, depending on the facts of the case.
Contact Blair & Ramirez LLP for a free consultation. We’ll listen to what happened, explain the next steps, and answer your questions. There’s no obligation, and no one should feel rushed into a decision during a time like this.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Los Angeles, CA?
Before a wrongful death case can move forward, you have to confirm who has legal standing to bring the claim. In California, the people who can file are defined by Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60.
In most cases, a wrongful death claim may be filed by:
- A surviving spouse or registered domestic partner
- Children (and in some situations, the “issue” of a deceased child, such as grandchildren)
- If there are no surviving children/descendants, other relatives who would inherit under California’s intestate succession rules may have standing
- Certain financially dependent family members, which can include a putative spouse, stepchildren, or parents if they depended on the person who died
- A minor who lived in the decedent’s household for the prior 180 days and relied on the decedent for at least half of their support (in qualifying situations)
- In some circumstances, the decedent’s personal representative can also bring the claim on behalf of the eligible family members
California’s “One Action” Rule Matters
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Legal Help Our Los Angeles Attorneys Provide to Grieving Families
When your family is dealing with a sudden loss, the legal side can feel overwhelming, especially while insurers and defense lawyers begin protecting their interests. If your family has the right to bring a wrongful death claim, our Los Angeles attorneys step in to shoulder the legal workload and keep the case moving in a clear, organised way.
When you hire Blair & Ramirez LLP, we focus on the work that families shouldn’t have to handle during grief, including:
- Investigating what happened and gathering key records and documentation
- Preserving and organising evidence (photos, reports, medical records, employment records, and other case materials)
- Working with appropriate experts when needed to understand liability and damages
- Identifying all potentially responsible parties and the available insurance coverage
- Handling communication with insurance adjusters and defence counsel
- Preparing the case for litigation if necessary, including filing deadlines, pleadings, and court requirements
Our goal is to provide steady, practical guidance, so you understand your options, the process stays on track, and you’re not left trying to manage legal pressure on top of everything else.
Parties That May Be Held Liable After a Fatal Accident in Los Angeles
In many wrongful death matters, more than one person or company may share legal responsibility. Part of building a strong claim is identifying every potentially liable party, not just the most obvious one.
Depending on what happened, responsible parties may include:
Negligent drivers when unsafe driving contributes to a fatal crash (including rideshare, commercial, or delivery drivers).
Employers, contractors, or other third parties when a workplace hazard, safety failure, or negligent oversight contributes to a fatal incident.
Property owners, landlords, or property managers when unsafe conditions on a premises play a role (such as poor maintenance, inadequate lighting, missing warnings, or security issues).
Medical providers or hospitals when preventable medical errors contribute to a fatal outcome.
Manufacturers, distributors, or sellers when a defective product creates a deadly risk.
Government or public entities when a dangerous condition on public property (like a roadway or sidewalk) is a contributing cause, these cases can involve specific legal standards and procedures under California law.
Determining liability takes careful legal analysis and investigation. We help families understand which parties may be accountable based on the facts, and what steps are available to move the case forward.
How We Prove Wrongful Death
A wrongful death case is built by showing, through evidence, that someone’s negligence or wrongful conduct caused a death. In Los Angeles, most wrongful death claims are proven using the same core elements as a negligence case.
To establish liability, we typically focus on four key points:
- Duty of care: The person, business, or agency had a legal responsibility to act with reasonable care under the circumstances (for example, driving safely, maintaining a property, following safety rules, or providing competent medical care).
- Breach of duty: They failed to meet that responsibility, through something they did, or something they failed to do.
- Causation: That breach was a substantial factor in causing the death. In other words, the death happened because of the misconduct or safety failure, not despite it.
- Damages: The death resulted in real losses to the surviving family, often including financial support and services the person provided, and the loss of companionship, care, and guidance.
In practical terms, proving these elements usually means collecting and organising the right evidence, reports, records, photos/video, witness statements, expert analysis when needed, and insurance or employment documentation, so the full story is clear and supported.
Evidence Required to Prove a Wrongful Death Case in Los Angeles
In a California civil wrongful death case, the family bringing the claim generally must prove the case by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning it is more likely true than not true that the defendant’s conduct caused the death. This is different from the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard used in criminal cases.
Meeting that standard still requires solid documentation. The goal is to show what happened, why it happened, who is responsible, and what your family lost.
Death Certificate
A death certificate is often one of the first documents used in a wrongful death matter. It helps confirm the person’s identity and the official manner/cause of death as recorded, and it is commonly required for court filings and insurance processes.
Proof of Negligence or Wrongdoing
To establish liability, the evidence must show what the defendant did (or failed to do) that fell below the required standard of care. Depending on the case, this may include photos or video, safety logs, inspection/maintenance records, employment records, citations, prior complaints, or other documentation that supports a pattern or specific failure.
Medical Reports
Medical records can help connect the incident to the injuries and the outcome. In cases involving complex medical issues, qualified medical experts may be used to explain causation and whether the care met accepted standards.
Police, OSHA, or Other Incident Reports
Official reports can be important because they often capture early timelines, involved parties, and potential witnesses. But it’s worth being careful with wording: police reports are not automatically admissible at trial in California if they contain hearsay or multiple levels of hearsay. They’re still useful for investigation and case development, and parts of them may be admissible under the right conditions.
Witness Statements
Independent witness accounts can help confirm how the incident happened, what was observed, and whether warning signs were present. Statements can come from bystanders, coworkers, passengers, or anyone with firsthand knowledge.
Circumstantial Evidence
Not every case has a single “smoking gun.” Circumstantial evidence, facts that point to what likely happened when viewed together, can still be persuasive. Examples include missing maintenance records, prior similar incidents, documented hazards, inconsistent timelines, or proof that a dangerous condition existed long enough that it should have been addressed.
Common Causes of Wrongful Death in Los Angeles
Many wrongful death cases in Los Angeles come from the same kinds of preventable situations, where a person or company may have failed to act with reasonable care. While every case is different, these are some of the most common circumstances families ask us about:
Motor vehicle crashes (including pedestrians and cyclists)
Fatal collisions can occur on major routes such as the 405, 10, 101, 5, 110, and 134, as well as on high-traffic surface streets. Common contributing factors include speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving. These cases can involve rideshare vehicles, delivery drivers, commercial trucks, buses, or multiple drivers.
Medical Malpractice
Preventable outcomes can involve missed diagnoses, delayed treatment, surgical mistakes, medication errors, or breakdowns in follow-up care, especially when symptoms were serious and time-sensitive.
Workplace and construction accidents
Industrial, construction, and other high-risk jobs in Los Angeles expose workers to fatal accidents. Construction site fatalities, including falls from heights or equipment malfunctions, are common, and employers may be held responsible for negligence in maintaining safety standards.
Defective Products
Cars, consumer products, tools, machinery, and safety equipment can create deadly risks when they’re defectively designed, poorly manufactured, or sold without adequate warnings or instructions.
Premises liability incidents
Dangerous conditions in apartment buildings, parking structures, hotels, retail stores, stairwells, pools, and construction-adjacent walkways can lead to fatal injuries when hazards aren’t fixed, warned about, or properly secured.
Negligent security
In some settings, like apartment complexes, bars, venues, parking garages, and shopping centres - inadequate lighting, broken gates/locks, lack of security procedures, or ignored prior incidents may contribute to preventable violence or fatal harm.
Other preventable third-party incidents
Some cases involve a third person’s misconduct where another entity may also share responsibility, such as when supervision, screening, safety policies, or security measures weren’t reasonable for the known risks.
Compensation Available to Families in Wrongful Death Cases
In California, wrongful death damages are meant to address the losses suffered by surviving family members, not to put a “price tag” on a life. The specific amount (if any) depends on the facts, the evidence, and the losses that can be proven.
Under California’s wrongful death framework, damages are commonly discussed in two categories: economic and non-economic.
How Compensation is Distributed
California law also provides that the court determines the respective rights of the people entitled to share in an award.
If your family is considering a claim, our role is to help identify which categories may apply, gather the documentation needed to support them, and keep the case compliant with California’s procedural rules from the start.
Deadlines That Apply to California Fatal Injury Cases
The General Rule
- Most wrongful death lawsuits must be filed within 2 years of the date of death (CCP § 335.1).
Key Exceptions and Deadline Traps
Minors (children as claimants)
- In many civil cases, the statute of limitations is tolled while the claimant is under 18 (CCP § 352).
- Important: this tolling rule does not apply the same way when the case requires a government claim first (CCP § 352(b)).
Delayed discovery (limited situations)
- In some fact-specific situations, California’s discovery rule can delay when the limitations clock starts, generally until the plaintiff has, or should have, “inquiry notice” of the claim (awareness of the injury and a negligent/wrongful cause).
Claims involving government or public entities
- Before you can sue, you generally must present a government claim within 6 months for death/personal injury claims (Gov. Code § 911.2).
- After a proper written rejection, the lawsuit deadline is often 6 months from the rejection notice (Gov. Code § 945.6). If proper notice is not given, different timing rules (including a longer period) may apply.
Because deadlines can turn on details (especially medical-care timelines and public-entity rules), it’s usually best to talk with counsel early so the claim is handled correctly and filed on time.
How Wrongful Death and Survival Claims Work Together
Wrongful death and survival claims are related, but they cover different losses in California wrongful death lawsuit and often move forward in the same lawsuit.
- A wrongful death claim belongs to the eligible family members (heirs). It focuses on how the death affected the survivors.
- A survival action belongs to the estate. It focuses on what the person who died suffered or lost before death (and what they could have recovered if they had lived).
Because each claim has different rules on who can file, what damages are allowed, and how recoveries are paid out, coordinating them matters.
Legal Feature: Wrongful Death vs. Survival Action (California)
| Legal Feature | Wrongful Death Claim | Survival Action |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Compensates surviving family members for their losses caused by the death | Compensates the estate for losses the deceased person incurred before death |
| Filed by | Eligible heirs (spouse/domestic partner, children, and others listed in CCP § 377.60) | The personal representative or, if none, the successor in interest (CCP § 377.30) |
| Types of Damages | Economic and non-economic losses to survivors (e.g., financial support, funeral/burial, household services, love/companionship, care, guidance) | Damages the decedent sustained before death (e.g., medical expenses, lost earnings, property damage, and in some cases punitive damages if legally available) |
| Typical Damages | Post-death impact on the family | Between injury and time of death |
| Time Period Covered | Losses that begin after death (impact on the family) | Losses between the injury and death (and other pre-death losses) |
| Pain and Suffering of the Deceased | Not recoverable in wrongful death | Generally not recoverable under CCP § 377.34; it was temporarily allowed only for certain actions filed Jan 1, 2022 through Jan 1, 2026 (and that window has now expired unless later extended by new law) |
| Where the money goes | Paid to eligible heirs (allocation may be agreed to or determined by the court if disputed) | Paid to the estate and distributed through probate (will or intestacy rules) |
Why Los Angeles Families Choose Blair & Ramirez LLP
Choosing a wrongful death attorney is a personal decision, especially when your family is grieving and everything feels urgent. Families turn to Blair & Ramirez LLP because we offer steady guidance, careful case-building, and reliable communication from the first call through resolution.
Families choose our firm because we provide:
- Relevant experience: We represent families in wrongful death matters across Los Angeles County and understand the legal and practical challenges these cases can involve.
- Thorough investigation and strong resources: When a case requires it, we work with qualified professionals, such as medical experts, accident reconstruction specialists, and financial analysts, to help clarify liability and document losses.
- Litigation-ready preparation: We prepare cases with the expectation that insurers and defendants may push back. That level of preparation helps us evaluate settlement offers realistically and stay ready for court if needed.
- Clear, consistent communication: You receive straightforward updates, timely answers, and guidance you can understand, without legal jargon.
- Bilingual support (English and Spanish): We work with English- and Spanish-speaking families so communication stays clear and nothing gets lost in translation.
- Responsive scheduling: We offer flexible appointment times and return calls promptly, because families should not feel ignored during a time like this.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss what happened and learn what options may be available. There’s no obligation, and we’ll explain the next steps in plain language.
Prior results depend on the facts and circumstances of each case and do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Wrongful Death Statistics - California & U.S. Overview
Preventable fatalities remain a serious issue in California and across the United States. Public reporting consistently shows major death tolls tied to traffic crashes, workplace incidents, and other unintentional injuries. These numbers don’t mean every death involves a wrongful death claim, but they do show how often families are affected by incidents that may raise legal questions. Vehicle crashes, workplace injuries, and other unintentional events.
| Category | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic (motor vehicle) Fatalities | 4,061 deaths (2023) | 40,901 deaths (2023) |
| Workplace Fatalities (CFOI) | 439 deaths (2023) | 5,283 deaths (2023) |
| Unintentional Injury Deaths (all causes) | California totals are available via CDC WONDER / CDPH EpiCenter (definitions vary) | 222,698 deaths (2023) |
Note: California traffic fatality totals above come from the California Office of Traffic Safety’s published 2023 figures. U.S. traffic fatalities come from NHTSA’s 2023 reporting. Workplace fatality totals come from the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). Unintentional injury totals for the U.S. come from CDC mortality data for 2023.
These statistics underline a simple reality: thousands of families each year are forced to deal with a sudden, preventable loss, and the legal and financial questions that can follow.
Serving Families Across Los Angeles and Nearby Communities
Blair & Ramirez LLP represents families throughout Los Angeles County and surrounding Southern California areas, providing accessible, legal support regardless of where a fatal incident occurred.
Service areas include:
- Irvine
- Santa Monica
- Burbank
- Pasadena
- Glendale
- Long Beach
- Encino
No matter where your family is located, our attorneys are available to help you understand your legal options and next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Get Legal Guidance for Your Wrongful Death Case Today
If your family has lost a loved one, talking with a Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer can help you understand what options may be available and what the next steps typically look like. Blair & Ramirez LLP offers a free consultation so you can ask questions and get clear information about how a potential claim may be evaluated.
Call (213) 577-2191 or use our online contact form to request a consultation.
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