{"id":1827,"date":"2026-10-24T03:34:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T03:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/34-138-224-95.nip.io\/wrongful-death-claim-process-california\/wrongful-death-claim-city-county-california\/"},"modified":"2026-10-24T08:13:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T08:13:10","slug":"wrongful-death-claim-city-county-california","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colvinaccidentlawyers.com\/resources\/wrongful-death-claim-process-california\/wrongful-death-claim-city-county-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrongful Death Claim Against City or County California"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wrongful Death \u00b7 Bakersfield and Kern County, California<\/p>

When a City or County May Be Responsible for a Loss of Life, Your Family Deserves Answers<\/h1>

Colvin Accident Lawyers represents families in Bakersfield and throughout Kern County after a fatal accident involving a public entity. Your first consultation is free, confidential and comes with no obligation to continue.<\/p>

Get a Free Case Consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a Free Case Consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

By Donald Norman Colvin \u00b7 Published October 23, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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A wrongful death claim against city or county in California has a much shorter first deadline than most lawsuits. The family generally must present a written government claim within six months after the cause of action accrues (when the claim legally starts). If that step is missed, the law allows only a limited request to file late. If you are reading this after a loss, you do not need to know these rules yet. This guide explains the deadline, what must be proven, what heirs can recover, and what happens next.<\/p>\n

What This Claim Is and Who It Covers<\/h2>\n

A wrongful death claim against city or county in California is a claim that a death was caused by a dangerous condition of public property. Public property is real or personal property that the public entity owns or controls (Gov. Code \u00a7 830<\/a>). Roads and sidewalks that a city or county owns or controls are one example.<\/p>\n

A dangerous condition creates a substantial risk of injury. A minor or trivial problem does not count when people use the property with due care (Gov. Code \u00a7 830<\/a>).<\/p>\n

This claim works differently from a claim against a private driver or business. Before a family can sue a public entity, it must present a written claim and wait for that claim to be acted on or deemed rejected (Gov. Code \u00a7 945.4<\/a>) (California Courts Self Help Guide<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Families may face this situation after a crash, a pedestrian incident, or another event tied to a dangerous road or public property. A single crash can involve both a private driver and a public road owner. Each one follows its own rules.<\/p>\n\n

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If your family lost someone on a road or property a city or county controls, the six-month clock may already be running, and we can talk through your options. 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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The Government Claim Deadline Families Need to Know<\/h2>\n

The government claim for a wrongful death must generally be presented within six months after the cause of action accrues (Gov. Code \u00a7 911.2<\/a>). That is much shorter than the general limit for other death claims.<\/p>\n

For a death caused by a private person, the general limit is two years (Code Civ. Proc. \u00a7 335.1<\/a>). Families who assume that longer period applies to a city or county can run out of time for the first step.<\/p>\n

Two more rules matter once the claim is filed:<\/p>\n