For many families, the shock of suddenly losing someone creates not only overwhelming grief but also confusion about how to hold responsible parties accountable. At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, our Huntington Beach wrongful death lawyers believe those responsible should be held accountable for the tragedy they have caused. The emotional weight of losing a loved one often collides with unexpected financial stress, unanswered questions, and a deep desire for justice. We may be able to help if you are enduring the aftermath of a wrongful death in your family.
Our attorneys know that every case carries a personal story. We take the time to learn about your loved one to represent their story clearly and respectfully. Behind every legal filing are memories of shared time and family moments that deserve to be protected. Our goal is to honor that memory while pursuing justice for your family.
We also know that no legal process can replace what has been lost. Yet, seeking accountability can provide stability and a sense of closure. Families often find peace knowing that responsible parties have been held accountable and that this accountability may prevent another tragedy. Our team approaches each case with compassion, careful attention, and the legal skill needed to pursue real results. If individual or corporate negligence or reckless behavior led to wrongful death, we will use all of our resources to pursue justice for your family.
A wrongful death occurs when a person dies because of another’s negligent, reckless, or intentional actions. It’s a civil claim, not a criminal prosecution, filed to hold the responsible party accountable and to secure compensation for surviving family members. California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60 provides an overview of who can file a wrongful death action. These individuals include a surviving spouse, domestic partner, children, or heirs entitled under California’s intestate succession laws. When you contact us, we will listen to the details of your case and offer detailed legal options that fit the specifics of your situation. We know that no two cases are the same and that wrongful death can occur in various ways with intricate complexities impacting your legal options. We are prepared for all such complexities.
Wrongful deaths occur in many ways. Some of the most common causes include:
What connects these cases is preventability. Someone’s careless act or decision led to a death that should not have happened. Our Huntington Beach wrongful death lawyers thoroughly investigate these tragedies, seek to identify the underlying causes, and determine who can be held liable. Whether the responsible party is an individual, business, or government entity, we have the experience and resources to pursue justice and compensation for you and your family.
California law is specific about who may bring a wrongful death lawsuit. The right typically belongs to the deceased’s surviving spouse, domestic partner, or children. If there are no direct heirs, others entitled to inherit under California’s intestate succession laws, such as parents, siblings, or other dependents, may have the right to file.
The decedent’s personal representative may also file the claim for all eligible beneficiaries. This ensures that only one wrongful death action is filed, streamlining the process and preventing conflicting lawsuits. It also allows the recovery to be fairly distributed among family members. If you are unsure if you have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit, please reach out to us, and we can candidly discuss your options.
Our attorneys take time to help families understand who qualifies to bring the claim and how proceeds are divided. These cases are often emotionally complex, especially when multiple relatives are involved. We approach each situation with sensitivity and clear communication so that every family member feels heard and supported.
Understanding the difference between a wrongful death claim and a survival action is also important. A wrongful death claim focuses on the losses suffered by surviving relatives, such as the loss of companionship, emotional support, and financial contributions. A survival action allows the estate to recover damages the decedent sustained before passing, like medical expenses or lost earnings. Both claims are often filed together to ensure full compensation.
Establishing fault is at the heart of every wrongful death case. To hold a defendant accountable for negligence, your attorney must prove that their conduct caused the death. This involves demonstrating four key elements:
If you choose our wrongful death attorneys to represent you, our legal team will investigate your case thoroughly, gathering physical evidence, eyewitness accounts, and expert analysis. We often collaborate with accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts, and economists to present a clear and compelling narrative. Each piece of evidence helps illustrate how the event occurred and its impact on your family’s life.
For instance, in a fatal trucking accident on Pacific Coast Highway, multiple parties may share responsibility—the driver, the trucking company, or even a parts manufacturer if a mechanical defect played a role. Our attorneys dig deep to identify all liability sources to maximize your family’s potential recovery and try to hold all responsible parties accountable.
Beyond identifying who is at fault, the sequence of events matters. We map timelines, compare statements, and test competing theories against objective data like vehicle event recorders, cell phone metadata, and surveillance footage. When appropriate, we consult human factors specialists to evaluate perception-response times, visibility, and decision making. In products liability cases, we review the vehicle, piece of machinery, or consumer product to determine its defect, meet with subject-matter experts to prove the dangerous nature of the product, and show the causal connection between the defect and the decedent’s fatal injuries. This meticulous approach clarifies liability and strengthens settlement negotiations. By firmly establishing the facts and building a compelling narrative, we seek to build a case for you and your family that cannot be refuted.
Many defendants raise familiar defenses. They claim the decedent assumed the risk, disputing causation, or trying to shift blame to a third party. California’s comparative fault rules can still allow recovery even when multiple actors share responsibility. Countering these defenses requires careful witness preparation, clear expert explanations, and demonstrative exhibits that help a jury see precisely how the tragedy unfolded. The more vivid and grounded the proof, the harder it is for a negligent party to avoid accountability.
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The financial and emotional toll of losing a loved one can be overwhelming. Because of this, a wrongful death lawsuit allows families to pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. According to the California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.61, damages should be fair and just based on the facts of the case.
Economic damages include tangible financial losses, such as:
Non-economic damages compensate for intangible losses, including:
In some instances, punitive damages may also be available. These damages are not meant to compensate the family but to punish defendants for particularly egregious behavior, such as drunk driving or gross negligence.
Translating a family’s lived experience into numbers is never simple, but we have considerable experience in this area. We consider the decedent’s age, education, work history, career trajectory, and expected raises and benefits to evaluate lost financial support. For a parent who stayed home, we quantify the market value of childcare, transportation, meal preparation, and household management provided every week, for example. We also document the rhythms of family life, such as bedtime routines, youth sports coaching, and homework help. We seek to have jurors understand real, daily contributions that have been lost due to wrongful death.
Translating a family’s lived experience into numbers is never simple, but we have considerable experience in this area. We consider the decedent’s age, education, work history, career trajectory, and expected raises and benefits to assess the loss of financial support. For a parent who stays home, we quantify the market value of childcare, transportation, meal preparation, and household management provided every week, for example.
We also take the time to get to know the family, to learn about their shared routines, traditions, and the personal moments that define their daily lives. This connection helps us present the non-economic damages portion of the case with authenticity and compassion. We document the rhythms of family life—bedtime stories, weekend outings, youth sports, and family gatherings so that jurors can understand the real human loss behind the numbers. We aim to help them appreciate the depth of the family’s experience and the profound impact of a life cut short.
Time is one of the most important factors in a wrongful death case. Under the California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, families generally have two years from death to bring a lawsuit. Once that window closes, the right to seek compensation may be lost forever.
There are a few exceptions. If a government agency played a role, an extraordinary claim must usually be filed within six months. Because every situation is different, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible if you suspect negligence.
Acting quickly does more than protect your legal rights; it strengthens your case. Over time, memories fade, evidence disappears, and documents can be misplaced. Reaching out early allows your lawyer to investigate while details are still fresh and evidence is easier to collect. At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, we move fast to secure the proof needed to build the strongest possible case, giving your family the best chance at justice.
For more than 50 years, Greene Broillet & Wheeler has fought on behalf of California families who have suffered wrongful death and catastrophic injuries. Our firm has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. We have also been recognized nationally for our results. We are consistently listed among Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, reflecting our commitment to excellence and justice.
Our approach combines the skill of experienced trial lawyers with the compassion of advocates who genuinely care. We take the time to understand your family’s story, learn about your loved one, and craft a legal strategy reflecting your unique circumstances. Our attorneys handle each case with care, communicating regularly and ensuring you feel supported every step of the way.
We are proud of the trust our clients place in us. Many come to our firm through referrals from former clients or attorneys who respect our work. Our record-setting verdicts and settlements have helped families find closure and led to changes in safety standards and corporate practices that protect others from future harm.
When negligence or wrongdoing leads to the loss of a loved one, your family deserves answers, justice, and accountability. At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, we help families in Huntington Beach and across California pursue fair compensation and closure through compassionate and determined legal advocacy.
Our firm is here to guide you with empathy, skill, and strength. Call 866-634-4525 today to speak with a wrongful death attorney who will listen to your story and help you take the first step toward justice.
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Tim J. Wheeler is the Firm’s Managing Partner and a highly accomplished California trial lawyer with decades of experience in product liability, personal injury, employment, and complex negligence cases. He has secured over 150 verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 million, including landmark results such as the largest personal injury verdict against the City of Los Angeles at the time and record jury awards for brain injury and wrongful termination cases. Tim is a former Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year and Product Liability Lawyer of the Year in Los Angeles, and a long-standing honoree of Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers.
Named in Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms,” Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP ranks as Tier 1 Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs in Los Angeles.
Many firm members have been honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, including Browne Greene, Christine Spagnoli, and Bruce Broillet, recipients of the Marvin E. Lewis Award. In addition, attorneys Bruce Broillet, Scott Carr, Molly McKibben, and Tobin Lanzetta has been honored with the Consumer Attorney of the Year Award.
All of our attorneys are proud to be active members of the Los Angeles County Bar Association or LACBA.
Our attorneys were featured in TopVerdict for having one of the Top 10 Wrongful Death Verdicts in California in 2019, with $15 million won for the plaintiff in Keck v. Bel-Air Bay Club.
Partners Geoff Wells and Ivan Puchalt were both named among the 2025 Consumer Attorney Visionaries by LA Times Studios.
Several partners are active members in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, with attorneys Browne Greene, Bruce Broillet, and Christine Spagnoli named “Trial Lawyer of the Year.”
Firm partners Christine D. Spagnoli and Molly McKibben have both been honored by the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and are active members.
After winning $2.6 million for the plaintiff’s side in a head-on collision case, our victory was named in the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2019 by TopVerdict.
Several of our partners are members in the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national invite-only association consisting of the most experienced trial lawyers.
Our team includes several Fellows and Associates with the invite-only International Society of Barristers in recognition of their trial advocacy.
Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, was featured by TopVerdict in the Top 100 Settlements across all practice areas in California for 2019.
Bruce A. Broillet and Christine D. Spagnoli are Fellows with the invite-only International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a group of elite trial lawyers from over 30 countries.
Recipients of this recognition are held up to the same standards as for The Best Lawyers in America, but only legal professionals in the first ten years of their careers qualify. Four attorneys at GBW have been recognized with this award in 2021.
Founding partners Browne Greene and Bruce A. Broillet are both members of the exclusive invite-only Inner Circle of Advocates, as two of the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in America.
Our firm has more attorneys on the Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars lists than any other law firm in Southern California, with 15 members selected.
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