Local office in Riverside, CA3610 Central Ave, Suite 207Directions

Lost a loved one in Riverside?Talk to a lawyer for free.

A family's wrongful death claim has its own rules and deadlines: generally two years, or six months if a public agency may be responsible. When your family is ready, we can walk you through it.

  • No fee unless we winWe only get paid when you get paid.
  • Zero upfront costYour consultation is free, with no obligation.
  • Hablamos españolNative Spanish speakers. No confusion. No delays.
  • Available 24/7We can meet your family at home.
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Call our Riverside office(909) 639-689024/7 line: (800) 985-9565

No attorney's fees unless we recover compensation. Clients may be responsible for case costs. Read the disclaimer

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From the very first call through every step of the process, the team at Valero provided exceptional care and support.
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Results that speak.Millions won for our clients.

We've won over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Recognized for excellence

Avvo Rating: Excellent, Top Rated Personal InjuryTop Rated by Super Lawyers
  • $6.25MPersonal injuryA confidential personal injury settlement.
  • $5MAuto accidentFor a husband and wife after the husband suffered a brachial plexus injury.
  • $2.34MAccident claimA win for a client injured in an accident.
  • $1.3MWrongful deathFor the family of a person killed through someone else's negligence.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

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Here to protect your family's interests, not the insurance company's

Insurance companies have a team.You should have one too.

After a fatal accident, the other side's insurer may call within days, often before a family has had time to grieve, and it values the claim to control cost. What you say can shape the rest of the claim.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

  1. Was another driver, a company or a property owner careless?
  2. Could a public agency be involved, like the City of Riverside, the County, RTA or Caltrans?
  3. Would the settlement account for the support, help and companionship your family has lost, not just the bills?

From one of our car accident cases

The insurer's best offer$410,000

What we won for our client$4.4M

A car accident that left our client with a neck injury. We won more than ten times the insurer's best offer.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

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Our office in Riverside

Local wrongful death lawyers,right here in Riverside.

Not every firm that advertises in Riverside has an office here. We do.

Our office is on Central Avenue, a few miles from the County offices a family deals with after a death, from Vital Records to the District Attorney's Victim Services. Come in, or we'll come to you anywhere in western Riverside County.

Nearby officesSan BernardinoPalm DesertWoodland Hills

Why choose Valero Law Group?

We champion every family,with patience and care.

After a loss, we take on the legal work with the same skill, attention and determination we bring to every client.

We gather the records, deal with the insurance companies and explain each step in plain words, so your family can focus on each other.

They made me feel like a priority, and they put my needs first as a client.

IsabelValero Law Group client

400+five-star Google reviews

Real reviews fromour clients.

  • Samuel M. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $881,000 settlement check
    Samuel M.$881,000
  • Victoria M. smiling in front of the Valero Law Group logo wall with her $625,000 settlement check
    Victoria M.$625,000
  • Karina C. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with her $625,000 settlement check
    Karina C.$625,000
  • Angela M. smiling and pointing to her $625,000 settlement check
    Angela M.$625,000
  • Destiny H. smiling with her $500,000 settlement check
    Destiny H.$500,000
  • Javier P. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $375,000 settlement check
    Javier P.$375,000
From the first call, not only did they inform me, but they ensured I received the medical care I needed, and they never stopped fighting for me and my family.
Titilayo A.Google review
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Highly recommend this firm to anyone involved in an accident!
Chris F.Google review
I definitely recommend this law firm, super helpful.
Bertha M.Google review

What a family can recover aftera wrongful death in California.

Whoever caused the death can be held responsible for what the family has lost (CCP §377.61). The law doesn't pay for grief itself; it pays for the support, help and companionship the family lost. A separate claim belongs to the estate.

The family's claim

What the family has lost

  • The financial support they would have given the family
  • Gifts and benefits the family would have received
  • Funeral and burial costs
  • The value of the help they gave at home
  • Their love, companionship, comfort and guidance

The estate's claim

What your loved one lost before death

  • Medical bills from the injury until the death
  • Pay they lost between the injury and the death
  • Damage to their property, such as a car
  • In some cases, penalties or punitive damages
  • 89fatal crashes on Riverside's city streets in five yearsFrom July 2017 to June 2022, in the City of Riverside's own road safety plan.
  • 2 yearsTo file a wrongful death lawsuitGenerally from the death (CCP §335.1). If a public agency may be responsible, a written claim is usually due within six months.
  • $12,818The most CalVCB pays toward a funeral when a crime caused the deathIf a drunk driver, a hit-and-run or another crime caused the death, the California Victim Compensation Board may help pay funeral and burial costs, up to this amount, after other sources.

After a death in Riverside,what comes next.

The coroner, death certificates, the police report, who brings the claim and the deadlines, explained.

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  • The coroner
    In Riverside County the Sheriff is also the Coroner, and its Coroner's Bureau investigates every death from an accident or an injury. It usually releases your loved one to the funeral home within two or three days. Families can request its reports by letter; questions go to (951) 443-2300.
  • Death certificates
    The funeral home usually orders the first copies. More certified copies are $26 each from Riverside County Vital Records, 4065 County Circle Drive, for a death this year or last, or from the County Clerk-Recorder. If the cause is still "pending", you can order copies for legal matters.
  • If it was a crash
    On Riverside's streets, Riverside Police investigate, and a report of a fatal crash is only available from the police department, not online. On the freeways, it's the CHP's Riverside office. We can request the report for you.
  • Who can bring the claim
    The claim belongs to the family members the law names: a spouse or registered domestic partner, children, and the children of a child who has died. If there are none, it passes to the relatives who would inherit, and some others who depended on the person can also claim.
  • If a crime caused the death
    A criminal case against the driver runs separately, and you don't have to wait for it. The District Attorney's Victim Services, 3960 Orange Street, can keep your family informed and help you apply to CalVCB for funeral costs.
  • The deadlines
    A wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the death. If the City of Riverside, the County, RTA or Caltrans may be responsible, a written claim is usually due within six months.
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Al Barro Foundation: supporting over 400 orphans in Mexico

From the community, for the community.

Hablamos español.

We're a Hispanic-focused firm with native Spanish-speaking attorneys. We understand your family's needs, walk you through every step in your language, and fight to get you every dollar you deserve.

Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.
…they speak excellent Spanish, know how to help, and look out for their clients' best interests.
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Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.

Common questionsfrom families in Riverside.

Who can file a wrongful death claim in California?
The family members the law names: a spouse or registered domestic partner, children, and the children of a child who has died. If there are none, the relatives who would inherit, and some others who depended on the person, such as stepchildren or parents (CCP §377.60). The family usually brings one case together, and the court divides the award.
What can a family recover?
The financial support your loved one would have given, gifts and benefits, funeral and burial costs, the value of their help at home, and the loss of their love, companionship, comfort and guidance (CCP §377.61). California law doesn't pay for grief itself. Separately, the estate can claim what your loved one could have claimed, such as medical bills and lost pay before death (CCP §377.30).
Can the estate recover for our loved one's pain and suffering?
Not in a case filed now. For cases filed from 2022 through 2025, California temporarily let the estate recover for the pain and suffering a person went through before they died (CCP §377.34). Cases filed since January 1, 2026 can't recover those damages under current law.
The driver was charged with a crime. Do we have to wait for that case?
No. The criminal case runs separately, and a civil claim is decided on whether the driver was more likely than not at fault (Evidence Code §115), a lower bar than in a criminal trial. The two-year deadline keeps running meanwhile. If the driver is convicted, the criminal court also orders restitution to the family for economic losses, such as funeral costs.
How long does our family have?
Generally two years from the death to file a lawsuit (CCP §335.1). If a public agency may be responsible, a written claim is usually due within six months; the City of Riverside takes claims online or at the City Clerk's office. Call us early so no deadline slips by.
Who can get the death certificate?
Certified copies go only to people the law authorizes, among them the spouse or domestic partner, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren and brothers and sisters, an attorney for the estate, and the funeral home acting for the family (Health and Safety Code §103526).
Do you have an office in Riverside?
Yes. Our office is at 3610 Central Ave, Suite 207, Riverside, CA 92506, in Magnolia Center. Come in if you like, or we'll come to your family at home. Call (800) 985-9565 any time, 24/7.
What does a wrongful death lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Your consultation is free, and no attorney's fees are owed unless we recover compensation for your family. You may be responsible for case-related costs and expenses; we'll explain them before you sign.
Attorney Kyle Valero
Kyle ValeroAttorney, Valero Law Group

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Don't wait. There are legal deadlines.

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Have a question about a potential case?Talk to a Riverside wrongful death lawyer about your family's case today.

Your consultation is always free, with no obligation. We're happy to answer any questions and walk you through your options. No pressure, just honest answers.

(909) 639-6890

24/7 line: (800) 985-9565

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