UCLA Law Trained Attorneys in Calabasas
California wrongful death law under CCP Section 377.60 exists because some losses are caused by negligence that the law refuses to ignore. When someone dies because a driver was reckless, a doctor made a preventable error, or a property owner ignored a known hazard, surviving family members have the right to hold those responsible accountable in court.
In Calabasas, defendants often carry substantial insurance coverage, including umbrella policies that go well beyond standard limits. That matters because it means real compensation is available if the case is built correctly. Arya works with families here from the very first conversation, handling the legal burden so they can focus on getting through the worst days of their lives. Cases from Calabasas file at Chatsworth Courthouse.
A Calabasas-Area Attorney Who Knows This Community
I grew up in Woodland Hills, minutes from Calabasas, and have spent years representing injured residents across the West Valley. I bike the Las Virgenes trails off Valley Circle and Victory and spend time at The Commons. Plenty of memories at Sagebrush Cantina where graduations, birthdays, and celebrations always ended up. I attended El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School. I don’t need to look up your neighborhood before taking your call.
The Local Details That Move Your Case Forward
The crash corridors, the hospitals that handle trauma, the legal deadlines, the insurance dynamics. These are the things we know about Calabasas cases on day one, before we even open your file.
California law allows surviving spouses, children, and — in some cases — other dependents to file a civil wrongful death claim for the negligent, reckless, or intentional killing of a family member. This is a separate claim from any criminal prosecution.
A survival action (CCP §377.30) allows the estate to recover damages the deceased could have claimed if they had survived — including pain and suffering experienced before death. Both claims can run simultaneously and are often pursued together.
Why These Cases Require Local Knowledge
A large share of residential injuries in Calabasas happen inside gated, HOA-governed developments like The Oaks and The Highlands. The HOA's insurance policy, common area maintenance records, and liability structure are all different from a standard homeowner claim. If you do not know to request the HOA's insurance certificate and incident log early, you are already behind.
The Las Virgenes and Mulholland corridor to Malibu has a documented crash history. When a collision involves road design or poor maintenance on these mountain stretches, Caltrans or LA County may be liable alongside the other driver. But government tort claims have a six-month notice deadline. Miss it and the claim is gone.
Calabasas Commons is corporate-owned retail with a professional claims team. They have lawyers on retainer. They contest everything. We have dealt with them before and know what records to pull and how fast the footage gets overwritten.
Cases file at Chatsworth Courthouse, LA County. And individual defendants here tend to carry umbrella policies well above their primary limits, which changes how we structure the demand.
The Injury Patterns We See Here
The US-101 through Calabasas funnels heavy commuter traffic past the Lost Hills Road interchange. Drivers merge into backed-up lanes and the result is rear-end after rear-end, most of them at speeds that cause real damage: disc herniations, whiplash that lasts months, concussions that do not show up on the first scan.
Las Virgenes Road toward Malibu is where the serious mountain-road crashes happen. Calabasas Road and Lost Hills Road get the commercial and school zone collisions. Agoura Road on the western edge carries mixed commuter and local traffic with its own set of intersection conflicts.
Recent cases from Calabasas have included a parking lot collision at The Commons where the property tried to disclaim liability, a rideshare passenger injured on the 101 with dueling insurance policies, and a cyclist hit on Las Virgenes by a driver who crossed the center line on a blind curve. No two of those cases involved the same legal strategy.
Crash Data
Recent Crashes
View all crash reports in Calabasas →Compensation Available in Your Case
The law does not cap wrongful death damages in most California cases. That means the full financial and personal impact on your family is on the table. Here is what the statute allows.
Funeral & Burial Expenses
Reasonable costs of funeral arrangements, burial, or cremation connected to your loved one's wrongful death.
Lost Financial Support
Future earnings and financial contributions your loved one would have made to the family. We work with economists to project this over their expected career.
Loss of Household Services
The value of childcare, meals, home upkeep, and other daily tasks your loved one performed for the household.
Loss of Companionship
California recognizes the profound loss of love, guidance, and emotional presence. No amount replaces a person, but the law compensates what it can.
Pre-Death Pain & Suffering
A survival action recovers damages for what your loved one experienced before death. Crashes on Las Virgenes Road and Mulholland often involve conscious suffering before emergency responders arrive.
Punitive Damages
When the death involved drunk driving, willful misconduct, or gross negligence, courts can impose punitive damages to deter similar behavior.
Call us Today. No fee until you win!
818-224-7940Steps for Wrongful Death Families
Wrongful death claims involve both legal process and profound personal grief. We guide families through both with discretion and determination.
Prioritize your family's wellbeing
Focus on your family right now. Legal deadlines exist, but you don't need to act in the first days. We'll be here when you're ready.
Preserve all documentation
The death certificate, CHP or LASD reports, hospital records from West Hills or Los Robles, and any insurer correspondence should all be saved.
Do not accept any payment or release
An early settlement offer is almost always a fraction of what the case is worth. Signing a release ends your right to pursue full compensation.
Document financial dependence
Collect tax returns, bank statements, and pay records. These documents establish how much your family depended on your loved one financially.
Contact Westwood Law
Arya Firoozmand works with Calabasas families on wrongful death claims filed through Chatsworth Courthouse. Early action preserves crash scene evidence and medical records.