{"id":880,"date":"2026-10-20T00:11:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T00:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/34-138-224-95.nip.io\/wrongful-death-attorney-bakersfield\/kern-county\/"},"modified":"2026-10-24T10:05:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T10:05:35","slug":"kern-county","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colvinaccidentlawyers.com\/resources\/wrongful-death-attorney-bakersfield\/kern-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrongful Death Lawyer Kern County | Colvin Accident Lawyers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wrongful Death | Kern County<\/p>

Wrongful Death Lawyer Serving Kern County Families<\/h1>

Colvin Accident Lawyers, based in Bakersfield, represents families who have lost a loved one in a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, or premises accident. Your first consultation is free, confidential, and comes with no obligation.<\/p>

Get a Free Consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a Free Consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Your First Consultation<\/h2>\n

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Free<\/h3>

Initial consultation<\/p><\/div>

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Confidential<\/h3>

What you share stays private<\/p><\/div>

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No obligation<\/h3>

No commitment to continue<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By Donald Norman Colvin \u00b7 Published October 19, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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A wrongful death lawyer in Kern County helps a surviving family learn whether a claim exists and how to protect it. In California, certain family members can bring a wrongful death claim after a death caused by someone else’s carelessness or wrongful act. This page explains who may file, which deadlines apply, and what evidence to save. Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield, and families from Bakersfield and nearby Kern County communities can reach us.<\/p>\n

Who Can Bring a Wrongful Death Claim in Kern County<\/h2>\n

A surviving family member, not the person who died, holds a California wrongful death claim. The right usually belongs to close family, such as a surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, and to children. In some cases, parents or other family members who depended on the person may also have a claim. In some cases, an estate representative brings the case for the family.<\/p>\n

Several relatives can have a claim from the same death. Families often assume only the spouse can act. That is not always so, and waiting for everyone to agree can use up valuable time. Each person’s rights depend on the family relationship and the facts of the death, so those details come first at the free consultation.<\/p>\n

A practical step helps here. Write down each family member’s relationship to the person who died, along with any marriage or registration dates. A clear list lets the review move faster.<\/p>\n\n

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If someone you love died in a Kern County crash, you may have a claim, and we can review it in 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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Fatal Crashes on Kern County Roads and in Its Communities<\/h2>\n

Fatal incidents in Kern County happen on highways, city streets, and rural roads, and each setting raises different questions. Highway 99 carries heavy through traffic past Bakersfield. Highway 58, including the Tehachapi grade, carries passenger cars and large trucks through steep, winding sections. Highway 178 and rural two-lane roads leave little room for error. Surface streets in Bakersfield and in towns such as Delano bring pedestrians, cyclists, and turning traffic together.<\/p>\n

The mix of commuter traffic, commercial trucks, and farm and oilfield vehicles can shape how a collision happens. Commercial drivers must follow federal limits on driving and on-duty time. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration publishes the federal hours-of-service rules<\/a> that apply to them. Fatal incidents also happen in parking lots, near schools, and in neighborhoods where people walk and ride bikes. Each setting leads to different questions about who had a duty to act with care.<\/p>\n

Time Limits to Make Your Claim in California<\/h2>\n

A California wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the date of death. The Code Civ. Proc. \u00a7 335.1<\/a> sets this general two-year period. Exceptions can change the timing, so two years is a starting point, not a safe assumption.<\/p>\n

If a public entity may be responsible, the deadline can be much shorter. Cities, counties, state agencies, and public transit agencies generally require a written government claim first. Under Government Code \u00a7 911.2, a claim for death or injury generally must be presented not later than six months after the cause of action accrues.<\/p>\n

Waiting for an insurance decision, a coroner’s findings, or a police report uses up time. Those documents matter, but the clock keeps running while families wait for them. Bring the date of death and the incident details to the free consultation. That lets us check which deadlines may apply to your family.<\/p>\n

Types of Fatal Accidents We Handle<\/h2>\n

Colvin Accident Lawyers handles wrongful death matters that arise from car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, dog bite, and premises-related incidents. Catastrophic injuries that later lead to death are also within the practice. Each type raises its own liability questions.<\/p>\n