What is the statute of limitations in a wrongful death case?
A.: The statute of limitations in California is variable depending upon the nature of the action and the status of the plaintiff and the defendants. For instance, the general statute of limitations for an injury or death in California is two years from the date of the death; yet in the case of a medical malpractice action, the statute of limitations may be as short as one year, and in a case against a government entity, any lawsuit must first be preceded by the filing of a government tort claim, for which there is a 180 day limitations period. Additionally, in certain cases, the statute of limitations may be extended if the injured person is a minor or has a mental disability. Because the statute of limitations will be different depending upon the nature of the case, the identity of the parties, and any special rules which may relate to government defendants, medical malpractice claims, or other special types of cases, we recommend that if you have a case you contact us at once so that
