Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you lost a loved one in a fatal car, truck, or motorcycle crash in Los Angeles caused by someone else's negligence, Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. can pursue a wrongful death claim for your family's losses. We handle these cases with compassion and resolve. Free consultation, no fee unless we win.
A wrongful death lawyer in Los Angeles helps your family hold the at-fault party accountable and recover financially after a crash that never should have happened, so you can focus on grieving instead of fighting insurers. That kind of loss is a pain no words can reach. In the days that follow, the last thing you should carry is a fight with insurance companies over paperwork, deadlines, and blame. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. lifts that weight off you. We investigate what happened, gather the evidence, bring in the right experts, and deal with the insurers, so your family can grieve and begin to heal while we pursue accountability and the financial security your loved one wanted for you. It costs nothing to speak with us, and you owe no fee unless we recover for your family.
How many families lose someone on Los Angeles roads
If you lost someone in a crash in Los Angeles, you are not alone, and the numbers show it. Our tally of NHTSA FARS data counts 1,914 people killed in 1,822 fatal crashes inside the City of Los Angeles from 2019 to 2024. The yearly toll was 277 in 2019, 292 in 2020, 340 in 2021, 356 in 2022, 341 in 2023 and 308 in 2024. Los Angeles County had 778 traffic deaths in 2024, so the city alone made up about 40 percent. The people who died were often not in a car. Pedestrians were 869 of the 1,914 deaths, about 45 percent, and more than half of the 2024 deaths. Vehicle occupants were 657, motorcyclists 263 and bicyclists 82. Almost 1 in 4 fatal crashes in the city involved a hit-and-run vehicle. That rose to about 29 percent in 2024. Of the 867 fatal crashes involving a pedestrian, 324 involved a driver who fled. These patterns shape a family's claim. A hit-and-run death often turns on uninsured motorist coverage and a search for the driver. A pedestrian or motorcycle death often draws an insurer's claim that the person who died shared the blame. Even so, your family can still recover. Under pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804), the award shrinks only by the share of fault placed on your loved one. We gather the proof to keep that share small.
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The LA streets and freeways with the most fatal crashes
Fatal crashes in Los Angeles cluster on a short list of roads. In our tally of NHTSA FARS data for 2019 to 2024, Western Avenue had about 38 fatal crashes inside the city, the most of any surface street. Foothill Boulevard had about 33, Figueroa Street about 30, Vermont Avenue about 28 and Normandie Avenue about 25. Freeways and expressways made up 435 of the 1,822 fatal crashes, about 24 percent. US-101 had about 83, I-5 about 82, I-110 about 80, I-10 about 64 and I-405 about 36. LADOT tracks the worst streets on its High Injury Network. LADOT says that network is 6 percent of city streets, over 450 miles, yet it accounts for 70 percent of deaths and severe injuries for people walking. Western, Figueroa and Vermont are among its longest stretches for pedestrians and bicyclists. LADOT's own safety project pages add more. On Adams Boulevard between Crenshaw Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, 59 severe and fatal collisions from 2009 to 2019 caused 10 deaths, 6 of them pedestrians. LADOT's numbers for Avalon Boulevard show 149 people killed or severely injured between 2009 and 2017, with 44 percent of them on foot or on a bike. Why does this matter to your family? When a road's design, signals or upkeep may have played a part, the claim can run against the City of Los Angeles. That claim has a six-month clock, so we look at the road itself early.
Getting the police report after a fatal crash in Los Angeles
A fatal crash report takes a different path than a fender bender, and families often lose weeks finding that out. If the crash happened on a city street, LAPD wrote the report. LAPD will not release a report online when a death, an arrest or a juvenile was involved. You must ask by U.S. Mail. Send the Traffic Collision Report Request form with a $19.00 check or money order payable to the LAPD, no cash, to Records and Identification Division, Document Processing Unit, P.O. Box 30158, Los Angeles, CA 90030. To check where your family's request stands, call LAPD's recorded line at (213) 486-8130. LAPD's four Traffic Divisions do the investigating: Central on East 6th Street, South on South Crenshaw Boulevard, West on Venice Boulevard and Valley in Panorama City. If the crash happened on a freeway, the California Highway Patrol wrote it. CHP Central Los Angeles covers I-5, I-10, US-101, I-110 and SR-2 in that area, and its Area office sits at 777 W. Washington Blvd. The West Los Angeles Area office in Culver City covers I-405 and I-10. CHP only releases reports it investigated. You can ask at any CHP office for a fee, or mail a CHP 190 form or a letter with a copy of your driver license to the office that wrote it. Not sure which agency came? Look at the card the officer gave your family. You don't have to do any of this. We request the report and follow up until it arrives.
Death claims against the City, the County or Metro
When a city bus, a county truck, a Metro train or a public road had a hand in your loved one's death, a different set of rules applies. You must present a written government claim within six months of the death (Government Code 911.2). Each agency has its own claims office. For the City of Los Angeles, including LADOT and DASH buses, city employees and road defects, only the Office of the City Clerk can accept the claim. File through the online Claim for Damages portal, mail the signed form, or deliver it to City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395. The office does not take email or fax. Call (213) 978-1133. The City Attorney says no other office, not even its own, can receive a claim against the City. For the County of Los Angeles, the claim form goes to the Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors, Attention: Claims, 500 West Temple Street, Room 383. The County's form is dated 2016, so check that address before your family mails the claim. For LA Metro, the Claim for Damages form goes to One Gateway Plaza, 99-PL-4, and Metro says an adjuster will reach out in about ten days. If your family missed the six months, you can apply to file a late claim, but no later than one year (Government Code 911.4). After a written rejection, the lawsuit must be filed within six months of that notice (Government Code 945.6). We prepare and file these claims for you, on time.
Filing a wrongful death case in the Los Angeles Superior Court
Most wrongful death cases from LA crashes end up in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Its Local Rule 2.3 says unlimited motor vehicle wrongful death cases must be filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, or at the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster. Per the court's Civil Division, a set of Stanley Mosk courtrooms handles personal injury cases and nothing else. Our office on West 7th Street is a short trip from Stanley Mosk. In November 2024 the court announced a pilot for some motor vehicle injury cases filed in Van Nuys, Pomona and West Covina. We have not confirmed it is still running, so we check the filing court locator on lacourt.org before every filing. A survival action has one extra step. The person filing as your loved one's successor in interest must file a sworn declaration with a certified copy of the death certificate (Code of Civil Procedure 377.32). The survival claim also needs medical records from the last days of your loved one's life. In LA, those records often sit at a trauma center such as Los Angeles General Medical Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, all Level I. Those bills belong in the survival action. When several heirs qualify, the court divides the award among them (Code of Civil Procedure 377.61). We handle the paperwork so your family can focus on each other. Families who lost someone in a Long Beach crash can read our Long Beach wrongful death lawyer page for that city's Safe Streets data and the Medical Examiner process.
Who can file a wrongful death claim in California
California law limits who may bring a wrongful death claim, and we know these questions feel painful so soon after a loss. Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60, the claim belongs first to the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, the children, and the children of any child who has died. If the person who died left no children or other descendants, the people who would inherit under California's rules of intestate succession, such as parents, may bring it. Some people who depended on your loved one financially can bring a claim whether or not anyone else qualifies. That group includes a putative spouse and that spouse's children, stepchildren, and parents. It also includes a minor who lived in the household for the 180 days before the death and received at least half of their support from the person who died. Every family looks different, and we will sit with you, listen, and help you understand who has the right to come forward. There is no pressure, and we move at your pace. When several family members qualify, the court divides any award among the heirs (Code of Civil Procedure § 377.61), and we make sure each person's relationship and loss is represented fully and fairly.
Wrongful death and survival claims, two paths to accountability
A fatal crash can create two separate claims, and pursuing both often matters for a family. A wrongful death claim belongs to the surviving family members and pays them for what the loss means for the years ahead. A survival action, brought under California Code of Civil Procedure §§ 377.30 and 377.34 by the personal representative of your loved one's estate or, if there is none, a successor in interest, recovers the economic losses your loved one personally suffered between the crash and their passing, such as emergency and hospital bills, lost earnings, and property damage. When the conduct was especially reckless, a survival action can also seek punitive damages against the wrongdoer. The two claims work together. One looks forward to what the family has lost, the other looks back at what your loved one went through. We weigh both so nothing your family is owed slips past, and we coordinate between the estate and the family quietly, respectfully, and without adding to your burden.
The fatal motor-vehicle crashes we handle
We devote our practice to motor-vehicle cases, and we pursue wrongful death claims from fatal car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian collisions across Los Angeles, including crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers and hit-and-run drivers who fled the scene. Each type of crash asks for a different investigation. A truck case means preserving the black box, driver logs, and the carrier's records before anyone overwrites them. A motorcycle or pedestrian case means pushing back on the reflex to blame the person who died. A DUI case can open the door to punitive damages through the survival action. California law generally shields a bar or store that served an adult driver (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25602), but a claim may exist against a seller who served alcohol to an obviously intoxicated minor (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25602.1). Fatal-crash evidence such as skid marks, vehicle positions, camera footage, and witness memories starts fading within days, so we move fast to lock it down while treating your loss with the care it deserves. Whatever the circumstances, we track down every party who bears responsibility and every insurance policy that may apply, so the full account of what happened comes to light.
What to do after losing a loved one in a crash
Take care of your family first
You do not need to make legal decisions in the first hours. Be with the people you love, and let yourself grieve. When you are ready, even if that is a phone call from the hospital or the funeral home, we are here, and our first conversation is simply us listening.
Keep whatever you already have
If it is within reach, hold onto the police report or its number, the names of any officers or witnesses, and any photos, medical records, or belongings returned to you. You do not need to gather evidence yourself, since that is our job, but anything you already have can help.
Let us handle the insurers
If an insurance company contacts you, you do not have to speak with them, give a statement, or accept anything. Please do not sign a release or settlement in these early, raw days. Send them to us, and we will take it from there. The consultation is free and confidential.
How the insurance company protects itself, and how we protect your family
Even after a death, the at-fault party's insurer works to limit what it pays. Its representatives may reach out sounding sympathetic, ask a grieving family member for a recorded statement, request broad access to your loved one's records, or float a quick settlement while the shock is still fresh, long before anyone has counted what the family truly lost. They may quietly hint that your loved one shared the blame, or that you filed a claim too late. We step between your family and those tactics. We take over every conversation so no one has to relive the loss for an adjuster, we build the liability and damages evidence into a demand that reflects the full weight of what happened, and we prepare each case as if a jury will hear it, which is exactly why insurers take represented families seriously and pay what the case is worth.
What a wrongful death claim can recover for your family
- ✓Funeral & burial costs. The reasonable cost of laying your loved one to rest, including services and burial or cremation.
- ✓Lost financial support. The income and financial contributions your loved one would have given the family in the years ahead.
- ✓Lost household services. The real value of the everyday things they did, such as childcare, home repairs, cooking, and the countless tasks that kept your household running.
- ✓Loss of love & companionship. The loss of your loved one's love, comfort, care, moral support, and companionship.
- ✓Loss of guidance. For children above all, the loss of a parent's training, nurturing, and guidance through life.
- ✓Pre-death losses (survival). Through a survival action, the medical bills, lost earnings, and property damage your loved one incurred before passing.
- ✓Punitive damages. When the conduct was especially reckless, such as some DUI crashes, damages meant to punish the wrongdoer may be sought through the survival action. They are available in the wrongful death claim itself only if the driver is convicted of a felony homicide for the death (Civ. Code § 3294(d)).
California injury law, the deadlines that matter
In California, a wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within two years (California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1), and that period is ordinarily measured from the date of death. When the claim is against a public entity, such as a city bus agency, a government driver, or the agency responsible for a dangerous public road, the rules are much stricter. A written government claim must be presented within six months of the death (Gov. Code § 911.2). If that is missed, an application to present a late claim must be made within a reasonable time and no later than one year (Gov. Code § 911.4). If the agency sends a written rejection, the lawsuit must be filed within six months of that notice (Gov. Code § 945.6). Who may bring the claim is set by Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60. The surviving spouse or domestic partner and the children (and the children of a child who has died) come first. If the person who died left no descendants, the people who would inherit under intestate succession, such as parents, may bring it, and certain family members who depended on the person who died may bring it whether or not anyone else qualifies. A companion survival action under Code of Civil Procedure §§ 377.30 and 377.34 recovers losses your loved one suffered before death, such as medical bills and lost earnings, and can include punitive damages. Under California's pure comparative negligence rule (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804), a family can still recover even if the person who died was partly at fault, but the award is reduced by that percentage (Horwich v. Superior Court (1999) 21 Cal.4th 272). These deadlines are strict, and evidence fades quickly, which is why it helps to speak with a lawyer as soon as your family is able.
Why grieving families turn to Moe Abdallah Law
You'll work directly with your attorney
Attorney Moe Abdallah handles your family's case personally, with patience and care, and stays reachable by call and text whenever you have a question or just need an update.
Nothing unless we recover
You pay nothing upfront and owe no fee at all unless we recover for your family. The consultation is always free and confidential, and Se Habla Español.
We carry the legal weight
From the investigation to the experts to the insurers, we handle every part of the case so your family can focus on healing while we pursue full accountability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60, the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, the children, and the children of a child who has died come first. If your loved one left no children or other descendants, the people who would inherit under California's intestate succession rules, such as parents, may file. Certain family members who depended on your loved one financially, such as a putative spouse, stepchildren, or parents, may also file whether or not anyone else qualifies, and so may a minor who lived in the household for the prior 180 days and relied on your loved one for at least half of their support. We will help your family understand who has the right to file.
It can cover funeral and burial costs, the loss of your loved one's financial support and the household services they provided, and the loss of their love, companionship, comfort, care, and guidance. When the conduct was especially reckless, like some DUI crashes, punitive damages may be sought through a companion survival action. In the wrongful death claim itself, they are available only if the driver is convicted of a felony homicide for the death (Civil Code § 3294(d)). We work with economists and other experts to value both the financial and the human losses.
A wrongful death claim belongs to the surviving family and pays them for what the loss means for the years ahead. A survival action, brought by the estate's personal representative or a successor in interest under Code of Civil Procedure §§ 377.30 and 377.34, recovers the economic losses your loved one incurred before death, such as pre-death medical bills, lost earnings, and property damage, along with punitive damages in cases of especially reckless conduct. Families often pursue both together.
Generally two years under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, ordinarily measured from the date of death. Claims against a public entity, such as a city bus agency, a government driver, or the agency responsible for a dangerous public road, work differently. A written claim must be presented to the agency within six months of the death (Government Code § 911.2). If the agency rejects it in writing, the lawsuit must be filed within six months of that notice (Government Code § 945.6). These deadlines are strict, so reach out as soon as your family is able.
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee, which means our fee comes only from what we recover for your family. If we do not recover, you owe us nothing. The consultation is always free and confidential.
No. A wrongful death claim is a civil case that seeks financial accountability for your family's losses. Criminal charges, if any, are a separate matter that prosecutors decide. A civil case can move forward whether or not criminal charges are ever filed, and it does not depend on a criminal conviction.
You may still have a path to recovery. In DUI cases, punitive damages may be sought through the survival action. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your loved one's policy or your family's policy may respond when the at-fault driver had no insurance or too little. When a hit-and-run driver cannot be identified, that coverage generally requires physical contact with the other vehicle, a report to the police or CHP within 24 hours, and a sworn statement to the insurer within 30 days (Insurance Code § 11580.2(b)). In hit-and-run cases we work with investigators to identify the driver. Call us and we will explain your family's options.
Yes. Se Habla Español. Our team will support your family in the language you are most comfortable with, with care and respect.
When a loved one has died, having a lawyer almost always helps your family recover more, even after the fee. Wrongful death claims involve strict deadlines, questions of who may file, a separate survival action, and insurers who work to pay as little as possible. A grieving family should not be negotiating alone in these raw early days. We carry that weight for you. A first conversation is free, confidential, and simply us listening, with no pressure to decide anything.
No. Your family is not required to give the at-fault party's insurer a recorded statement, and you should not before speaking with a lawyer. Representatives may reach out sounding sympathetic, then use your words to hint your loved one shared the blame or to minimize the claim. Please decline and send them to us. We take over every conversation so no one has to relive the loss for an adjuster.
Please do not accept or sign anything in these early days without having it reviewed. Insurers often float a quick settlement while the shock is still fresh, long before anyone has counted what your family truly lost, and once you sign, the claim is closed for good. Let us review any offer for free and confidentially. We make sure the number reflects the full weight of what happened before your family agrees to anything.
In the near term, those costs usually fall to the family, the estate, or available insurance such as health coverage or your loved one's policies, because a wrongful death case takes time to resolve. The good news is that reasonable funeral and burial costs, and your loved one's pre-death medical bills through a survival action, are recoverable as part of the claim. We can also help you understand which resources may cover expenses in the meantime. Call us and we will walk through your family's options.
Families do not always agree, and that is common after a loss. A wrongful death claim is usually brought as one case for all the heirs, and the court divides any award among them (Code of Civil Procedure § 377.61). We handle these situations gently and fairly, making sure every person's loss is accounted for. We will sit with your family and explain how it works, at your pace.
It depends on the circumstances and whether the at-fault party's insurer disputes liability. A clearer case may resolve in a matter of months, while a serious or contested case can take a year or more. We do not rush to settle before the full picture of your family's losses is documented, and we do not let it drag needlessly either. We keep your family informed at every step and move at a pace that respects both the deadlines and your grief.
If LAPD handled the crash, you can't order the report online because it involves a death. Mail LAPD's Traffic Collision Report Request form with a $19.00 check or money order, no cash, to Records and Identification Division, Document Processing Unit, P.O. Box 30158, Los Angeles, CA 90030. The status line is (213) 486-8130. If the crash was on a freeway, CHP has the report. Ask at any CHP office, which charges a fee, or mail a CHP 190 form to the office that wrote it. We can do this for your family.
Most are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Its Local Rule 2.3 sends unlimited motor vehicle wrongful death cases to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street downtown, or to the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster. A family's case may go to one of the Stanley Mosk courtrooms that take personal injury cases only. If more than one family member qualifies, the judge splits the award among them. We confirm the right location with the court's filing locator before we file.
Then your family must present a written claim to that agency within six months of the death (Government Code 911.2). City of Los Angeles claims, including DASH buses and road defects, go only to the Office of the City Clerk at City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395, or through its online portal. Metro claims go to One Gateway Plaza, 99-PL-4. If the agency rejects your family's claim in writing, the lawsuit is due within six months of that notice (Government Code 945.6). Call us early so we can meet that deadline.
Yes. The same California wrongful death rules apply, and the claim can often reach more than the driver. A trucking company can be responsible for the driver it employs, and commercial trucks usually carry far more insurance than passenger cars. Driver logs, engine data and dashcam footage can disappear quickly, so we send preservation letters early. The general deadline is two years from the death, or six months to present a claim if a public agency is involved.
Other ways we help
Wrongful Death lawyer by area
We represent wrongful death victims across Los Angeles County:
Authoritative resources: California Courts, self-help for injury claims · Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1, 2-year deadline · California DMV · California Office of Traffic Safety, crash data
Sources & local resources
- FARS Encyclopedia: States, Crashes and All Victims · NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Vision Zero Maps: High-Injury Network · LADOT Livable Streets
- Adams Boulevard Safety Project · LADOT Livable Streets
- Obtain A Traffic Collision Report · Los Angeles Police Department
- Claims · Los Angeles City Attorney
- Claim for Damages form · LA Metro
- Local Rules, Chapter 2 (Rules 2.2 and 2.3, filing locations) · Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
- Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60 · California Legislative Information
Talk to Moe Abdallah directly
When you call Moe Abdallah Law, you work directly with your attorney and get straight answers, not a call center. Moe takes on the insurance companies and fights for the maximum, and he keeps you updated at every step. The consultation is free and you pay nothing unless he wins.
Real recoveries for real Angelenos
Real recoveries from an attorney who takes your case personally and fights for the maximum.
Rear-ended by a driver who fled, and other firms turned her down. Moe opened an uninsured-motorist claim, proved she could not have been at fault, and secured the full policy limit.
Broke his sternum and had no insurance of his own, and his prior attorney ignored him. Moe took his calls day and night and recovered a settlement that covered his hospital bills and future treatment.
Cut off on the freeway and left with back and neck pain over four months of treatment. Moe secured the full policy limit for his pain and suffering, and his totaled car was reimbursed.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
Talk to a lawyer today, free
Tell us what happened. We respond fast, usually within the hour, and there's no fee unless we win. Available 24/7 · Se Habla Español.
Call (323) 716-1992