As with other types of lawsuits, California has a statute of limitations for filing a Torrance wrongful death claim. Under the law, you have two years from the date your loved one died to file a lawsuit. However, there is an exception to the rule (called the discovery rule) which can extend the statute of limitations if the following is present - There was a reasonable belief that you did not know the person died - The cause of your loved one's death did not become clear until well after the statute of limitations had passed