Did you recently experience the tragic loss of a loved one in an accident in Sugar Land, TX? If someone else was responsible for your loved one’s death, we can help you hold them accountable.
An experienced Sugar Land wrongful death lawyer at The Crash Team can help you pursue financial compensation for medical costs, lost financial support, pain, trauma, and more. Our lawyers have 35 years of experience helping injured clients and grieving families, and we’ve already recovered over $20 million in settlements and verdicts.
Whether someone’s intentional or careless conduct caused your loss, we’re here to help. Call our law office at 832-800-8000 to schedule a free consultation today.
How The Crash Team Can Help With Your Family’s Wrongful Death Claim in Sugar Land, TX
You’ve experienced an unimaginable loss, and no amount of money can ever change that. However, financial compensation can offer significant relief—especially if your loved one was a primary source of support. Securing fair compensation can also help bring a sense of justice to your family during this difficult time.
Wrongful death cases in Sugar Land, Texas often involve complex legal issues. Our trusted Sugar Land personal injury attorneys at The Crash Team have the experience, legal knowledge, and resources to help.
When you hire our team, you’ll benefit from a knowledgeable group who will:
- Handle all of the legal aspects and give your family time to grieve
- Gather and analyze all evidence, including accident reports, video footage, medical records, witness testimony, and more
- Work with leading experts in relevant fields
- Determine how much compensation your family deserves
- Aggressively negotiate for a top-dollar settlement
- Take your case to trial and fight for every dollar you deserve
Members of our legal team have been recognized by the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, call our Sugar Land personal injury attorneys to schedule a free consultation today. We’ll listen to your story and explain your legal options.
Overview of Texas Laws on Wrongful Death
Texas law defines wrongful death as a death caused by someone’s “wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness, or default.”
People can seek compensation When hurt due to another party’s actions. That’s true regardless of whether the at-fault party intended to harm them. Your loved one didn’t have the opportunity to seek compensation on their own. That right doesn’t simply disappear because they couldn’t survive their injuries.
Instead, surviving family members gain the right to hold the responsible party accountable.
How Do Wrongful Death Cases Work in Texas?
Wrongful death cases are brought in civil court. They’re very similar to personal injury cases except, of course, they involve fatal injuries. The remedy is financial compensation. You may pursue compensation regardless of whether the defendant’s acts were criminal or only careless.
Certain family members have the right to file a lawsuit, which are listed here in order of priority:
- A surviving spouse
- Children, whether biological or adoptive
- The victim’s parents
The victim’s personal representative or estate executor can also file the claim for compensation. Any compensation recovered goes to the victim’s heirs, according to their will or based on Texas intestate laws if no will exists.
What Is My Sugar Land Wrongful Death Case Worth?
It’s incredibly hard to put a price on a human life. A financial recovery can’t erase your loss.
Pursuing compensation is often a family’s only option for justice. As the victim’s survivors, it’s up to you to prove your case value. The other side won’t simply hand over a full check.
Factors that our lawyers will evaluate as we build your case include:
- The nature of the at-fault party’s actions
- The pain, trauma, and distress your loved one experienced
- How your loved one contributed to your household and family, both financially and otherwise
- The decedent’s age and life expectancy
- The decedent’s earning potential, based on prior earnings, education, work history, etc.
- The age of dependent children and survivors
- Your financial costs, including funeral expenses, estate administration costs, medical bills, etc.
Hiring an experienced Sugar Land wrongful death attorney is the best way to ensure your family is fairly compensated. Your lawyer can bring in experts and present evidence to establish your case value. You can count on us to prepare the strongest possible legal claim based on solid evidence and hard facts.
What Types of Damages Are Available if a Wrongful Death Case Is Successful?
You’re entitled to pursue compensation for the full value of your losses. Both economic damages and non-economic damages are available.
Some examples of the damages you may recover include:
- Medical bills incurred between the date of injury and the date of death
- Loss of the victim’s financial support and job benefits
- Loss of inheritance
- Loss of the value of household services and childcare provided by the victim
- Loss of your loved one’s companionship, support and guidance
- Funeral expenses and burial costs
If the defendant’s acts were intentional or particularly shocking in nature, courts have the authority to award punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded solely to punish a responsible party for their reprehensible actions.
How Much Money Does It Cost to Hire a Wrongful Death Lawyer in Texas?
Our lawyers in Sugar Land work on a contingency fee basis. When you hire our law firm, you’ll agree to pay a portion of your settlement or verdict as attorneys’ fees.
The contingency fee arrangement is a favorable alternative to upfront retainer fees and hourly rates. It means you’ll never have to worry about paying if your lawyer doesn’t recover compensation in your case.
How Can Texas Shared Fault Laws Impact the Value of My Sugar Land Wrongful Death Case?
It’s possible that you could lose your right to compensation entirely if your loved one shared fault for the fatal accident. Under Texas’ modified comparative negligence laws, you can only recover compensation if your loved one’s “percentage of fault” was less than 51%. If your loved one is even partially responsible, your compensation will reduced by their percentage of fault.
As you might imagine, insurance companies often try using this law to their advantage. Victims can share the blame for their own fatal injuries. That said, the other side may not have legitimate evidence to back up these claims. You don’t have to back down – our experienced Sugar Land wrongful death attorneys know how to protect you.
What Causes Most Deadly Accidents in Texas?
Any type of severe accident can lead to a tragic loss of life.
Our lawyers at The Crash Team handle all types of wrongful death claims, including those involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents involving semi-trucks and big rigs
- Motorcycle accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dangerous property conditions
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber or Lyft accidents
- Boating accidents
- Construction accidents
- Industrial accidents
- Oil field accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Intentional wrongdoing
- Defective products
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
Wrongful death cases are often more complicated than personal injury cases. When you’re hiring a law firm, remember that experience matters. Our attorneys have experience handling even the most complicated cases.
What Do I Have to Prove to Win a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Texas?
Most fatal accidents happen because someone was careless. The careless party can be held liable for their actions. However, to win your case, you’ll have to establish the legal elements of negligence.
Negligence means:
- The defendant owed your loved one a duty of care.
- They breached their duty by failing to behave as a reasonable person would have under the circumstances.
- That breach directly caused your loved one’s death.
- Your family suffered identifiable damages as a result.
We all have a duty to use reasonable caution to prevent accidents and harm to others. The scope of a person’s duty can depend on the facts and circumstances.
Our lawyers have the tools to investigate and gather the evidence you need to prove your case. Contact us today to explore your options.
What is the Deadline for Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After a Fatal Accident in Texas?
You have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas. The two-year limitation period starts to run on the date of your loved one’s death.
After the deadline passes, you will lose your right to pursue compensation. That means it’s always a good idea to seek legal advice sooner rather than later.
Contact a Sugar Land Wrongful Death Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
You’re already struggling with an unbearable amount of grief. You shouldn’t have to deal with financial instability on top of it all. Our team at The Crash Team is here to provide the support and guidance you need during this difficult time. Call us today to arrange a free case review with an experienced Sugar Land wrongful death lawyer.