San Francisco Wrongful Death Accident Lawyer

When a careless driver, a negligent company, or an unsafe property takes someone you love, your family deserves answers and accountability. Tien Law Firm represents grieving families across San Francisco and the Bay Area in wrongful death claims arising from car crashes, pedestrian collisions, truck accidents, and other preventable tragedies.

Founding attorney Sonya Tien has more than a decade of experience fighting for injured people and their families. She has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for seven years and has held a 10.0 Avvo rating for thirteen years.

Call (415) 881-8820 today for a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to what happened, explain your family’s rights, and tell you honestly how we can help.

Nothing can undo your loss. A wrongful death claim can, however, cover the financial support your family relied on, pay for funeral costs, and hold the responsible party to account so another Bay Area family is spared the same pain.

Why Bay Area Families Choose Tien Law Firm

You need a lawyer who will treat your family with care and your case with urgency. Sonya Tien built Tien Law Firm in San Francisco to give grieving families direct, personal representation from an experienced trial-ready attorney.

More than a decade of experience handling serious injury and wrongful death matters in Bay Area courts.
Super Lawyers Rising Star for seven years, a peer-informed selection limited to a small share of attorneys in each state.
10.0 Avvo rating for thirteen years, the highest rating on the Avvo scale.
Local knowledge. We know the corridors where fatal crashes happen, the San Francisco Superior Court on McAllister Street, and the insurers and agencies involved in Bay Area cases.
You work with the attorney. Your calls go to a lawyer who knows your file, not a call center.
Contingency fee representation. You pay no attorney fees up front. [Confirm exact fee terms.]

We investigate quickly. Evidence such as traffic-camera footage, Muni and business surveillance video, vehicle data, and 911 recordings can be overwritten within days or weeks, so early action protects your claim.

How California Wrongful Death Claims Work

California allows certain family members to sue when a death is caused by another person’s wrongful act or neglect. The rules are set out in California Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 and the related survival statutes.

Who can file a wrongful death claim in California?

A surviving spouse or registered domestic partner
The deceased person’s children, or grandchildren if a child has also passed
If none of those survive, the people who would inherit under California intestate succession, such as parents or siblings
Others who were financially dependent on the deceased, including a putative spouse, stepchildren, parents, or a minor who lived in the home for at least 180 days and relied on the deceased for half or more of their support

Separately, the personal representative of the estate may bring a survival action for losses the deceased suffered before death, such as medical bills and lost wages. These two claims are usually filed together.

What compensation is available?

Type of damages	Examples
Economic	Lost financial support and future earnings, lost household services, funeral and burial expenses, medical bills before death
Non-economic	Loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, protection, affection, moral support, and guidance
Survival action	The deceased’s own medical costs and lost wages before death; punitive damages in cases of malice, oppression, or fraud

How long do you have to file?

Two years from the date of death for most wrongful death claims (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1).
Six months to file a government claim if a public entity is involved, such as the City and County of San Francisco, SFMTA/Muni, BART, AC Transit, Caltrans, or a county hospital (Government Code section 911.2).
Shorter, different deadlines apply to medical negligence deaths (Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5).

These deadlines are strict. If a city bus, a dangerous road design, or a public employee played a role, call (415) 881-8820 as soon as possible.

Fatal Accidents We Handle Across San Francisco and the Bay Area

Wrongful death cases often begin on the same roads Bay Area residents travel every day. We handle claims arising from:

Car and freeway crashes on US-101, I-80, I-280, I-880, I-580, I-680, and the Central Freeway, including high-speed collisions at the 101/280 interchange and on the approach to the Bay Bridge.
Pedestrian deaths on San Francisco’s high-injury corridors, including South Van Ness Avenue, Geary Boulevard, Market Street, Mission Street, the Embarcadero, Sunset Boulevard, and 19th Avenue (Highway 1).
Bicycle fatalities on shared streets such as Valencia Street, Folsom Street, Howard Street, and routes through Golden Gate Park and the Presidio.
Truck and commercial vehicle crashes involving delivery vans, big rigs near the Port of Oakland on I-880, and construction trucks in SoMa and Mission Bay.
Rideshare and autonomous vehicle collisions involving Uber, Lyft, and driverless robotaxis operating on San Francisco streets.
Motorcycle crashes on Highway 1 through Pacifica and Marin, Skyline Boulevard (CA-35), and Highway 92.
Public transit accidents involving Muni buses, light rail, cable cars, BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, and Golden Gate Transit.
Bridge and toll plaza collisions on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, San Mateo Bridge, Dumbarton Bridge, and Richmond–San Rafael Bridge.
DUI crashes, where the impaired driver, and in some cases a vehicle owner or employer, can be held responsible.
Premises and workplace deaths, including falls, building fires, and construction site accidents.

Our investigation can draw on San Francisco Police Department and California Highway Patrol crash reports, SFMTA and Caltrans records, witness interviews, and accident reconstruction experts.

From the Trauma Center to the Courtroom

Many of the families we help first hear the worst news in a Bay Area emergency room. Hospital records from these facilities often become key evidence of how an accident happened and what care was provided:

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on Potrero Avenue, San Francisco’s Level I trauma center
UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus and Mission Bay, including UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital
CPMC Van Ness Campus and CPMC Mission Bernal Campus
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco on Geary Boulevard and Kaiser South San Francisco
Highland Hospital in Oakland and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley and John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek
Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose
Seton Medical Center in Daly City and Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame
MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae

We obtain these records, the coroner’s or Medical Examiner’s report, and emergency response timelines on your behalf, so your family can grieve while we build the case.

Wrongful Death Representation Throughout the Bay Area

Tien Law Firm is based in San Francisco and represents families throughout the region.

Area	Communities we serve
San Francisco	SoMa, the Tenderloin, the Mission, Bayview–Hunters Point, Excelsior, Visitacion Valley, the Sunset, the Richmond, Chinatown, North Beach, Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, Western Addition, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Mission Bay
San Mateo County	Daly City, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, Redwood City, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay
Alameda County	Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Alameda, San Leandro, Hayward, Fremont, Castro Valley, Dublin, Pleasanton
Contra Costa County	Richmond, El Cerrito, Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Antioch, San Ramon
Marin County	Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Novato, Corte Madera
Santa Clara County	Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose

If your loved one was killed while visiting the Bay Area, or you live out of state, we can still help. Most of the case can be handled by phone and video.

What to Do After a Fatal Accident

Call (415) 881-8820 before speaking with any insurance adjuster. Recorded statements can be used to reduce or deny your claim.
Keep documents together. Save the police report number, hospital paperwork, death certificate, funeral bills, and photos.
Do not sign releases or settlement offers from an insurer without legal advice.
Let us preserve evidence. We send preservation letters for surveillance video, vehicle data, and phone records before they are lost.
Focus on your family. We handle communication with insurers, agencies, and opposing lawyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a wrongful death case worth in San Francisco?

Every case is different. Value depends on the deceased’s age, earnings, family relationships, the strength of the liability evidence, and available insurance. Bay Area wages and living costs can increase the economic losses a family can prove.

Can I file a claim if my loved one was partly at fault?

Yes. California follows pure comparative negligence. Your family’s recovery is reduced by the deceased’s share of fault, but it is not barred.

What if the driver who caused the crash was uninsured?

Your family may be able to recover through uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, an employer’s policy, a vehicle owner’s policy, or a claim against a public entity responsible for an unsafe road.

Can we sue Muni, BART, or the City of San Francisco?

Yes, but you generally must file a written government claim within six months of the death before filing a lawsuit. Call us right away if a public vehicle, employee, or road condition was involved.

Will my case go to trial?

Most wrongful death cases resolve through settlement. We prepare every case as though it will be tried in San Francisco Superior Court or the appropriate county court, because that preparation strengthens your negotiating position.