{"id":1328,"date":"2026-10-22T03:44:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T03:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/34-138-224-95.nip.io\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/top-rated-wrongful-death-lawyer\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T08:21:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:21:03","slug":"top-rated-wrongful-death-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colvinaccidentlawyers.com\/resources\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/top-rated-wrongful-death-lawyer\/","title":{"rendered":"Bakersfield Wrongful Death Lawyer | Colvin Accident Lawyers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/span>\"An
\n

Wrongful Death Lawyer | Bakersfield and Kern County<\/p>

Supporting Bakersfield Families After a Wrongful Death<\/h1>

Colvin Accident Lawyers represents surviving families in Kern County and nearby communities. Every case turns on its own facts, and we start with a free, confidential consultation.<\/p>

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

About Colvin Accident Lawyers<\/h2>\n

<\/span><\/p>

Bakersfield, CA<\/h3>

Based in Bakersfield, California<\/p><\/div>

<\/span><\/p>

Free<\/h3>

Confidential first consultation with no obligation to continue<\/p><\/div>

<\/span><\/p>

7<\/h3>

Communities served, from Kern County to Fresno and Lancaster<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By Donald Norman Colvin \u00b7 Published October 21, 2026<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Bakersfield Wrongful Death Lawyer: Claims, Deadlines, and Next Steps<\/h2>\n

A wrongful death claim lets certain family members seek damages after a person dies because another party’s wrongful act or neglect caused the death. In California, the claim belongs to specific heirs, and it generally must be filed within two years (Code Civ. Proc. \u00a7 335.1<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield. The firm represents accident victims and families in car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, dog bite, premises liability, and catastrophic injury cases. This page explains how a wrongful death lawyer<\/a> approaches these claims, so you can decide what to do next.<\/p>\n\n

\n

If a crash, fall, or dog attack took someone you love, you may have a claim, and Colvin Accident Lawyers can review it with you in a confidential first talk. 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
\"Forensic<\/figure>\n

What a Wrongful Death Claim Is and Who Can Bring One<\/h2>\n

A wrongful death claim is a lawsuit brought after a person dies because of another party’s wrongful act or neglect. The claim is brought for the family members the law names, not for the person who died.<\/p>\n

Under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. \u00a7 377.60<\/a>, the surviving spouse, domestic partner, children, and issue of deceased children can bring the claim. If none of them survive, the people who would inherit the decedent’s property under intestate succession may bring it.<\/p>\n

Other people may have the right to sue if they were dependent on the person who died: the putative spouse, children of the putative spouse, stepchildren, parents, or the legal guardians of the decedent if the parents are deceased. This can include parents, stepchildren, and a putative spouse, which is the surviving spouse of a void or voidable marriage whom the court finds to have believed in good faith that the marriage to the decedent was valid. A minor may also qualify if they lived in the decedent’s household for the previous 180 days and relied on that person for at least half of their support.<\/p>\n

A separate survival claim covers the injuries the person suffered before death. A personal representative brings it under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. \u00a7 377.30<\/a>, or, if there is none, a successor in interest does.<\/p>\n

Accidents That Can Lead to a Wrongful Death Claim<\/h2>\n

A wrongful death claim can follow many kinds of fatal accidents, not only highway crashes.<\/p>\n