{"id":129,"date":"2026-10-15T03:12:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T03:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/34-138-224-95.nip.io\/wrongful-death-attorney-bakersfield\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T08:45:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:45:37","slug":"wrongful-death-attorney-bakersfield","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colvinaccidentlawyers.com\/resources\/wrongful-death-attorney-bakersfield\/","title":{"rendered":"Bakersfield Wrongful Death Attorney | Kern County Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wrongful Death | Bakersfield & Kern County<\/p>

Bakersfield Wrongful Death Attorney for Families Who Have Lost a Loved One<\/h1>

Colvin Accident Lawyers helps Kern County families understand how a wrongful death claim works, from who can file to what a first conversation involves. Your first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue.<\/p>

Request Your Free Consultation<\/a><\/div>
Request Your Free Consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

By Donald Norman Colvin \u00b7 Published October 14, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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If you need a wrongful death attorney Bakersfield families can reach, the first step is understanding how these cases work. Wrongful death cases are one of the case types handled by Colvin Accident Lawyers. It asks the at-fault party to pay for the losses the death caused.<\/p>\n

This page is a plain-language guide for families in Bakersfield and across Kern County. It covers who can file, what the law looks at, the deadlines that matter, and what a first conversation involves.<\/p>\n

Colvin Accident Lawyers is a personal injury practice based in Bakersfield. Donald Norman Colvin is the lawyer, and our team supports him with the office work. No guide can predict how a specific case will end, and no one can assure a result. The facts of each case decide the outcome.<\/p>\n

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in California<\/h2>\n

Who that person is depends on the facts of the family and the estate.<\/p>\n

A separate question is whether the person could have brought a claim while alive. That claim can be handled differently from the family’s own losses.<\/p>\n

Mixing these two questions up can cause missed steps. Families should raise both questions early. A lawyer can help sort out the right parties for a specific family.<\/p>\n\n

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If your family member died in a Kern County crash and an insurer is asking for decisions, you don't have to face that alone, so reach out or call our office for a free, confidential first consultation. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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What Counts as Wrongful Death Under California Law<\/h2>\n

A wrongful death claim arises when another person’s careless or wrongful act causes a death. The claim asks whether that act was the reason the person died.<\/p>\n

California law starts with a broad duty. Under Civ. Code \u00a7 1714<\/a>, everyone is responsible for an injury caused by a lack of ordinary care in managing their property or person.<\/p>\n

Lawyers often break the claim into four parts:<\/p>\n