Personal Injury Attorneys
California Wrongful Death Lawyers
Losing a loved one because of someone else's negligence is a pain no family should have to bear. While no lawsuit can undo that loss, California law gives surviving family members the right to hold the responsible party accountable and to secure the financial stability the future now demands. At Mousavi Law, we handle these cases with compassion and resolve, so you can focus on your family while we fight for justice.
What We Handle
Common Causes & Scenarios
Fatal Traffic Collisions
Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes caused by negligent, distracted, or impaired drivers are among the most common causes of wrongful death. We investigate the crash thoroughly to establish fault.
Drunk and Reckless Driving
When a death is caused by a driver who was intoxicated or acted with extreme recklessness, the family may pursue additional accountability, and a survival action may allow for punitive damages.
Defective and Dangerous Products
A fatal defect in a vehicle, machine, medication, or consumer product can make the manufacturer strictly liable. These cases require careful investigation into the product's design and warnings.
Unsafe Premises and Property
Deaths from falls, drownings, fires, inadequate security, or other dangerous conditions on someone's property can support a wrongful death claim against the owner or manager.
Workplace and Jobsite Accidents
Fatal construction and industrial accidents may give rise to claims against negligent third parties, contractors, or equipment makers beyond the workers' compensation system.
Nursing Home and Care Facility Neglect
When neglect, abuse, or substandard care leads to an elderly loved one's death, the facility and its staff may be held responsible for the harm they caused.
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Call Now: 844-MOUSAVIWhy Choose Us
No Fee Unless We Win
We take wrongful death cases on contingency and advance the costs of investigation. Your family pays nothing unless we recover compensation.
Full Accountability and Recovery
We pursue every avenue of compensation, from lost support and funeral costs to the loss of your loved one's companionship, and we evaluate survival claims for additional damages.
Compassion and Personal Attention
We understand this is one of the hardest times of your life. You work directly with an attorney who treats your family with respect and handles the legal burden for you.
Attorney-Led Representation
Counsel is assigned to every case, even in pre-litigation.
Selective Case Acceptance
We accept fewer matters to maintain focus and precision.
Strategy Over Volume
Decisions are deliberate, not automated.
Arvin Mousavi
Founding Attorney
Arvin Mousavi founded Mousavi Law Firm after beginning his career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, a Vault 10 firm representing Fortune 500 companies. He left big law to put that training to work for consumers and injury victims, with attorney-led representation on every case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can file a wrongful death lawsuit in California?
California Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 sets out who may sue. This generally includes the surviving spouse or domestic partner, children, and, if there are none, other heirs who would inherit under intestate succession, such as parents or siblings. Certain dependents like a putative spouse or stepchildren may also qualify if they depended on the deceased.
How long do I have to file a wrongful death claim in California?
You generally have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California. If the death was caused by a government entity, a claim may have to be filed within six months, so it is important to consult an attorney as soon as possible to protect the family's rights.
What damages are available in a California wrongful death case?
Wrongful death damages compensate the survivors' losses. These include the financial support the deceased would have provided, funeral and burial expenses, the value of household services, and non-economic losses such as the loss of the deceased's love, companionship, comfort, and guidance. California does not allow survivors to recover for their own grief as a separate item, but loss of companionship is recoverable.
What is the difference between wrongful death and a survival action?
A wrongful death claim compensates the surviving family members for their own losses. A survival action, brought by the estate, recovers the losses the deceased suffered before death, such as pre-death medical bills and, in many cases, pre-death pain and suffering. The two claims are often pursued together.
Can we recover punitive damages in a wrongful death case?
Punitive damages are generally not available in the wrongful death claim itself, but they may be pursued through a survival action when the conduct was malicious, oppressive, or fraudulent, such as with a drunk driver or extreme recklessness. We evaluate every case for all available forms of compensation.
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