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.
California law limits who may bring a wrongful death claim, and we know these questions feel painful so soon after a loss. California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60 puts the surviving spouse, a registered domestic partner, and the children of the person who died first in line. When none of them survive, the right to file passes to the people who would inherit under California's rules of intestate succession, often the parents or siblings. In some cases it reaches others who depended on your loved one financially, such as a stepchild, a putative spouse, or a parent who relied on their support. 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, California usually joins everyone's losses in a single action so competing lawsuits never divide the family, and we make sure each person's relationship and loss is represented fully and fairly.
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 going forward. A survival action, brought under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.30 and § 377.34 on behalf of your loved one's estate, 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.
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 and, at times, a claim against the bar or business that overserved the driver. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
California gives your family two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit (California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). That window is dramatically shorter, as little as six months to file a government claim, when a public entity is involved, such as a city bus, a government vehicle, or a dangerous roadway (Gov. Code § 911.2). Who may bring the claim is set by § 377.60 (the surviving spouse, domestic partner, and children first, then other heirs or dependents), while a companion survival action under § 377.30 and § 377.34 recovers the losses your loved one suffered before death. California also follows pure comparative negligence, so a family can recover even if the person who died was found partly at fault, with the award reduced by that percentage. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60, the surviving spouse, registered domestic partner, and children come first. If none survive, the right passes to those who would inherit under California's intestate succession rules, often parents or siblings, and to certain others who depended on your loved one financially. 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. In cases of reckless conduct like a DUI, punitive damages may also apply. 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 going forward. A survival action, brought on behalf of the estate under § 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 from the date of death under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. If a government entity is involved, such as a city bus, a government vehicle, or a dangerous roadway, you may have as little as six months to file a claim under Government Code § 911.2. These deadlines are strict, so it is best to 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. Punitive damages can apply in DUI cases, and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may respond when the at-fault driver had no insurance or fled. 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.
California usually joins everyone's losses in a single wrongful death action so competing lawsuits never divide the family, and a claim can move forward even when relatives are not all in step. Each qualifying family member's relationship and loss is represented within that one case. 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.
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
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 from an attorney who takes your case personally and fights for the maximum.
Rear-ended by a driver who fled with no police report, 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.
Attorney Moe represented me with nothing but care and diligence during my case, he got me the results that I needed while I was going through a hard time.
Attorney Moe was attentive to all my concerns and issues. He walked me through the entire process of my case and made things easy to understand. I cannot recommend him enough!
I would definitely recommend this firm to anyone looking for reliable legal guidance.
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