Wrongful Death matters in Anaheim
Few experiences are harder than losing a loved one in a preventable crash or incident. While no claim can undo that loss, California's wrongful death law allows surviving family members to pursue financial recovery and a measure of accountability from those responsible. MMG Law Firm guides Anaheim families through that process with patience and respect.
We are based in Glendale, about 30 miles from Anaheim, and we represent families in Anaheim and across the state. We do not keep a local Anaheim office, but we handle every step of these cases on your behalf.
Why Fatal Incidents Happen Around Anaheim
Anaheim sits at the junction of several of Southern California's busiest and most dangerous freeways, where high speeds, heavy congestion, and complex interchanges produce catastrophic collisions:
- The 5 (Santa Ana Freeway), a heavily traveled corridor through the city
- The 91 (Riverside Freeway), known for severe congestion and high-speed crashes
- The 57 (Orange Freeway), with its own pattern of serious wrecks
- The Orange Crush, the notorious convergence of the 5, 57, and 22, where merging traffic and tight ramps lead to deadly multi-vehicle collisions
Fatal incidents also arise from commercial truck crashes, pedestrian collisions on busy arterials, and dangerous premises conditions.
Who Can Bring a Wrongful Death Claim
California Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 defines who has standing to file. Generally that includes the deceased person's surviving spouse or domestic partner, children, and, if there are none, other heirs who would inherit under California's intestate succession rules. Certain dependents may also qualify. Determining who has the right to file, and coordinating multiple eligible family members, is a sensitive task we handle carefully so the claim is brought correctly.
When a public entity may share responsibility, such as a crash tied to a dangerous roadway condition, a written government claim under Government Code section 911.2 is generally required within six months, before any lawsuit can proceed.
What a Wrongful Death Claim Can Recover
California wrongful death damages fall into economic and non-economic categories. Economic losses can include the financial support the deceased would have provided, funeral and burial expenses, and the value of household services they performed. Non-economic losses address the loss of the loved one's love, companionship, comfort, care, and guidance. California's pure comparative negligence rule applies, so any shared fault reduces but does not necessarily bar recovery. We cannot promise a specific outcome, but we work to present the family's full losses.
Deadlines and the Orange County Courts
California wrongful death actions generally must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a public entity is involved, the six-month government-claim deadline under Government Code section 911.2 applies first and is unforgiving. Anaheim wrongful death cases are typically handled by the Orange County Superior Court, with many filed at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
How MMG Law Firm Helps
Attorney Mihran M. Ghazaryan and MMG Law Firm represent grieving families in Anaheim and statewide from our Glendale office. We take on the investigation, the insurers, and the deadlines so your family can grieve and recover. We move promptly to preserve evidence such as crash reconstruction data and witness accounts. Consultations are free and offered in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on contingency, so there is no fee unless we win.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with wrongful death
These are the matters Mihran M. Ghazaryan approaches with the most care. He identifies the family members California law allows to bring a claim, handles the process so the family doesn't have to relive it at every turn, and accounts fully for both the economic and the human losses — quietly, respectfully, and with the family's wishes leading the way.
Types of wrongful death matters we handle
Motor-vehicle fatalities
Includes pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle, and passenger fatalities. Federal regulations and CHP investigation drive the timeline.
Premises and workplace fatalities
Cal-OSHA reports become available later than family expects. We coordinate the investigation around their pace, not the agency's.
Medical-related deaths
MICRA limits and physician/hospital coordination create unique procedural rules. We work with consulting experts early.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every wrongful death claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Take the time you need before making decisions about a case.
- Preserve any evidence in your possession — vehicles, clothing, devices.
- Do not sign anything from the at-fault party's insurer.
- Be cautious of social-media posts; they will be reviewed.
- When ready, call us. The consultation is free and there is no rush.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.