Losing a loved one due to someone else's negligence is devastating beyond measure. While no amount of money can replace the person you have lost, a wrongful death claim can provide financial stability for your family and hold the responsible party accountable. Attorney Anand Desai has spent 20+ years helping grieving families throughout Los Angeles County navigate the legal system with compassion and relentless advocacy, recovering compensation for funeral costs, lost income, and the immeasurable loss of companionship.
Get a response within 1 hour.
Verified recovery.
Disputed liability.
Disputed liability.
Disputed liability.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different.
Wrongful death cases require an attorney who combines legal skill with genuine empathy. These are not just case files — they are families who have lost a mother, father, spouse, child, or sibling. Attorney Anand Desai approaches every wrongful death case with the sensitivity your family deserves and the courtroom tenacity needed to hold negligent parties accountable. His 50+ jury trials as a former LA County Public Defender gave him the experience to handle the most emotionally charged cases with both compassion and precision.
• Deep Local Knowledge — Wrongful death cases in the Glendale area often arise from fatal car accidents on the 134, I-5, and local surface streets, pedestrian fatalities in high-traffic corridors like Brand Blvd and Broadway, and fatal incidents at commercial properties. Attorney Desai's familiarity with the LA Superior Court system, local judges, and the Glendale legal landscape ensures your case is handled efficiently and strategically from the outset.
• Multilingual Support — Losing a family member is difficult enough without language barriers compounding the stress. Our firm serves families in 11 languages: English, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Thai, Tagalog, Russian, Armenian, Farsi, and Korean. We explain complex legal concepts and court procedures in the language your family is most comfortable with.
• 24/7 Availability — Fatal accidents demand immediate investigation. Evidence must be preserved, witnesses must be identified, and critical legal deadlines must be tracked from day one. Our team is available around the clock to begin working on your case immediately, even during the most difficult days following your loss.
• No Win, No Fee — Wrongful death cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. Your family pays nothing upfront and owes us nothing unless we recover compensation. We absorb all case costs — expert witnesses, court fees, investigation expenses — so your family can focus on grieving and healing.
Call us or fill out the form. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and answer all your questions — at no cost.
We gather evidence, work with experts, handle the insurance companies, and build your claim for maximum compensation.
We don’t get paid unless you win. 100% contingency fee — no upfront costs, no hidden charges, no risk to you.
California Code of Civil Procedure §377.60 strictly defines who has standing to bring a wrongful death claim. The right to file belongs first to the decedent's surviving spouse or domestic partner. If there is no surviving spouse, or in addition to the spouse, the decedent's surviving children may file. If there is no surviving spouse or children, the claim passes to anyone who would be entitled to the decedent's property by intestate succession under Probate Code §6401-6402, which may include parents, siblings, or grandparents.
CCP §377.60(b) also grants standing to certain individuals who were financially dependent on the decedent, including the putative spouse (someone who believed in good faith they were married to the decedent), children of the putative spouse, and stepchildren who were dependent on the decedent. Minor children of the decedent always have standing, and their claims are typically brought by a guardian ad litem. When multiple family members have standing, they may file jointly or separately, but the court will usually consolidate the claims to avoid duplicative litigation. Attorney Desai helps families navigate these complex standing requirements and ensures every eligible family member's claim is preserved.
California law provides two distinct legal avenues when a person dies due to another's negligence, and families often have the right to pursue both. A wrongful death claim under CCP §377.60 compensates the surviving family members for their losses — the harm they have suffered because of the death. A survival action under CCP §377.30 is a separate claim brought on behalf of the deceased person's estate for damages the decedent personally suffered before death, including pain and suffering experienced between the time of injury and the time of death, as well as any medical expenses incurred.
The distinction is legally significant. Wrongful death damages go directly to the surviving family members, while survival action damages become part of the decedent's estate and are distributed according to the will or intestate succession laws. In many cases, pursuing both claims substantially increases the total recovery. For example, if a car accident victim on the I-5 survived for several hours after the crash before dying at the hospital, the estate may have a survival action for the pain and suffering experienced during those hours, in addition to the family's wrongful death claim for loss of companionship and financial support. Our firm evaluates every case for both claims to maximize the family's total recovery.
California wrongful death damages are designed to compensate the surviving family for the losses they have suffered, not to punish the defendant (though punitive damages may be available in separate survival actions involving egregious conduct). Economic damages include the financial contributions the decedent would have made to the family had they lived: lost income and benefits over the decedent's expected working lifetime, the value of household services the decedent provided (cooking, cleaning, childcare, home maintenance), funeral and burial expenses, and the loss of any gifts or financial support the family would have received.
Non-economic damages compensate for intangible losses: the loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, and moral support the decedent provided. For a surviving spouse, this includes the loss of intimacy and partnership. For children, it includes the loss of parental guidance, training, and nurturing. For parents who lose a child, it includes the loss of that child's companionship and the unique bond between parent and child. California places no statutory cap on non-economic damages in wrongful death cases. Our firm works with forensic economists and vocational experts to calculate the present value of lost lifetime income, and with grief counselors and family therapists to document the profound non-economic impact of the loss.
Under California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1, wrongful death lawsuits must be filed within two years of the date of death. This is the standard deadline that applies in most cases, including deaths resulting from car accidents, truck collisions, premises liability incidents, and other forms of negligence. The clock starts on the date of death, not the date of the underlying incident — a distinction that matters when the victim survives for days, weeks, or months after the injury before passing away.
The most critical exception involves deaths caused by government employees or on government-owned property. Under the California Government Claims Act (Government Code §911.2), an administrative tort claim must be filed with the responsible government agency within six months of the date of death. This applies to deaths involving city or county vehicles, dangerous conditions on public roads maintained by Caltrans or local municipalities, incidents at public facilities, and accidents involving public transit operators like Metro or LADOT. Missing this six-month deadline almost always bars the claim entirely. For minors who lose a parent, the statute may be tolled, but this exception should never be relied upon without legal counsel. Contact our firm immediately after a wrongful death to ensure every deadline is tracked and met.
A wrongful death claim requires proving the same elements of negligence as any personal injury case: duty, breach, causation, and damages. The defendant owed a duty of care to the decedent (all drivers owe a duty to operate safely, property owners owe a duty to maintain safe premises, commercial carriers owe a heightened duty of care). The defendant breached that duty through negligent action or inaction. The breach was a substantial factor in causing the death. And the surviving family members have suffered compensable damages as a result.
The burden of proof in a civil wrongful death case is "preponderance of the evidence" — meaning more likely than not. This is a significantly lower standard than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard in criminal proceedings, which is why families can prevail in wrongful death lawsuits even when criminal charges are not filed or result in acquittal. Attorney Desai builds wrongful death cases using accident reconstruction experts, medical examiners, toxicology reports, surveillance footage, electronic data (black boxes, cell phone records), and eyewitness testimony. In cases involving commercial trucks, we also leverage FMCSA regulatory violations. Every piece of evidence is marshaled to establish a clear, compelling narrative of how negligence caused the death.
Glendale's particular traffic patterns and demographics create distinctive wrongful death case profiles. The city has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in Los Angeles County, with fatal collisions occurring regularly at high-traffic crossings like Brand Blvd and Broadway, Colorado Street and Central Avenue, and Glenoaks Boulevard near the 2 Freeway on-ramp. Glendale's large elderly population — particularly in the residential neighborhoods south of the Galleria — faces elevated pedestrian fatality risk due to longer crossing times and the city's wide, fast-moving boulevards.
Freeway fatalities on the 134 and I-5 through Glendale are also common, particularly in multi-vehicle pileups and truck-involved collisions at the I-5/134 interchange. These cases often involve commercial vehicle defendants with substantial insurance coverage. Wrongful death claims arising from premises liability — fatal falls, swimming pool drownings, and fire-related deaths in substandard housing — also occur in Glendale, particularly in the older apartment stock east of Central Avenue. In each of these scenarios, our firm combines local knowledge with aggressive legal strategy to secure meaningful results for grieving families. Call (833) 270-7800 for a confidential, no-cost consultation. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Under California Code of Civil Procedure §377.60, the following individuals can file a wrongful death claim: the surviving spouse or domestic partner, surviving children, and if there is no spouse or children, anyone entitled to the decedent's property under intestate succession (Probate Code §6401-6402), which may include parents, siblings, or grandparents. Additionally, putative spouses, children of putative spouses, and stepchildren who were financially dependent on the decedent may have standing. Minor children's claims are brought by a guardian ad litem.
The statute of limitations for wrongful death in California is two years from the date of death under Code of Civil Procedure §335.1. The clock starts on the date of death, not the date of the underlying incident. If the death was caused by a government entity or on government property, you must file an administrative claim within just six months of the date of death under Government Code §911.2. This compressed deadline applies to deaths involving city vehicles, public transit, and dangerous conditions on government-maintained roads and properties. Contact an attorney immediately to preserve your rights.
California wrongful death damages include economic losses (the decedent's lost future income and benefits, household services they provided, funeral and burial expenses) and non-economic losses (loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, affection, society, and moral support). A separate survival action under CCP §377.30 can recover damages the decedent personally suffered before death, including pre-death pain and suffering. California places no cap on non-economic damages in wrongful death cases. Our firm works with economists and vocational experts to calculate the full lifetime financial impact.
A wrongful death claim (CCP §377.60) compensates surviving family members for their losses resulting from the death — loss of income, companionship, and support. A survival action (CCP §377.30) is brought on behalf of the deceased person's estate for damages the decedent personally experienced before death — pre-death pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other personal losses. Survival action damages go to the estate and are distributed by will or intestate succession. Families often pursue both claims simultaneously to maximize total recovery.
Yes. The civil justice system and criminal justice system operate independently. A wrongful death lawsuit requires proof by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not), while criminal prosecution requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt — a much higher standard. This means families can prevail in wrongful death cases even when prosecutors decline to file charges or when criminal charges result in acquittal. The O.J. Simpson case is the most well-known example of this principle. Attorney Desai pursues wrongful death claims regardless of the status of any criminal investigation.
At Anand Desai Law, all wrongful death cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. Your family pays nothing upfront — no retainers, no hourly fees, no out-of-pocket costs for investigation, experts, or court filings. Our fee is a percentage of the compensation we recover. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing. This arrangement is governed by California Business and Professions Code §6147 and ensures that grieving families can access experienced legal representation without financial burden during an already devastating time.
Key evidence includes police and accident reports, autopsy and toxicology reports, medical records documenting the cause of death, witness statements, surveillance or dashcam footage, accident reconstruction expert analysis, the decedent's income and employment records (to calculate lost earnings), and evidence of the family relationship (marriage certificates, birth certificates, tax returns showing dependents). In truck accident deaths, FMCSA compliance records, ELD data, and driver qualification files are critical. Our firm conducts thorough investigations to gather comprehensive evidence.
Yes. California's pure comparative negligence rule applies to wrongful death cases. Even if the decedent was partially at fault for the incident that caused their death, the surviving family can still recover damages — reduced by the decedent's percentage of fault. For example, if a pedestrian was jaywalking but the driver was speeding and texting, a jury might assign 20% fault to the pedestrian. The family would still recover 80% of the total wrongful death damages. Attorney Desai works with experts to minimize fault attributed to the decedent.
Wrongful death cases typically take 12 to 36 months to resolve, depending on the complexity of liability, the number of defendants, and the amount of damages at stake. Cases involving government entities, commercial trucks, or multiple liable parties tend to take longer due to additional investigation and procedural requirements. Cases involving clear liability and single defendants may resolve more quickly through negotiation or mediation. Attorney Desai balances the family's desire for timely resolution against the need to build the strongest possible case for maximum compensation.
When a death is caused by a government employee or on government-maintained property, the California Government Claims Act imposes a six-month deadline to file an administrative tort claim with the responsible agency (Government Code §911.2). This applies to accidents involving city buses, police vehicles, fire trucks, public transit (Metro, LADOT), and deaths caused by dangerous conditions on government-maintained roads or in public facilities. The administrative claim must include specific details about the incident, the death, and the damages sought. Contact Anand Desai Law at (833) 270-7800 immediately — this compressed deadline leaves no room for delay.
Anand Desai is a dedicated personal injury attorney serving Glendale and the greater Los Angeles area. A graduate of Loyola Law School with an undergraduate degree from USC, Anand has been a member of the California State Bar (#249768) since 2007, bringing 20+ years of legal experience to every case he handles.
Anand specializes in personal injury law, with particular expertise in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and catastrophic injury cases. His deep understanding of California personal injury law, combined with his tenacious negotiation skills, has helped him secure millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients.
What truly sets Anand apart is his commitment to his community. His firm is one of the only law offices in Glendale that offers services in 11 languages, including Spanish, Armenian, Hindi, Gujarati, Korean, Tagalog, Farsi, Mandarin, Japanese, Vietnamese, and English — reflecting the rich diversity of the communities he serves.
“I fight for every client like they’re family. When you hire me, you’re not just getting a lawyer — you’re getting someone who genuinely cares about your recovery and your future.”
Call (833) 270-7800 to schedule your free consultation with Anand today.
Fill out the form and we will contact you within 24 hours. All consultations are free and confidential.
Or call us directly at (833) 270-7800