Someone’s negligence caused your loved one to be taken from you long before they should have. Build a strong legal case against them and make them pay for what they did by calling our wrongful death lawyer in Fort Worth.
At The Texas Law Dog, our Fort Worth personal injury lawyer doesn’t just bark, we bite. We’re dedicated to fighting hard to make sure you get justice for your loved one. Be sure to read one of our dozens of 5-star reviews on Google from our satisfied clients.
The Importance of Hiring an Experienced Fort Worth Wrongful Death Lawyer
Suffering the loss of a loved one can be hard on even the strongest family, and settling your loved one’s affairs could bring on extra stress.
If someone’s negligent action or inaction resulted in the death of your loved one, though, you may be entitled to seek compensation from the responsible party for various related damages and losses. Expect our experienced wrongful death attorney to work diligently on your behalf.
We take your claim seriously. Our attorneys will investigate all aspects of your case to create a comprehensive plan to investigate every part of this accident, uncovering those who put your family members at risk. With our experience and dedication, you can expect our attorneys to fight for your best possible outcome.
If you would like to file a civil injury suit against the person responsible for your loved one’s death, you could turn to a compassionate attorney to handle the legal issues surrounding your claim.
A skilled personal injury attorney could work to preserve evidence, negotiate with opposing attorneys, bring expert witnesses into the wrongful death case, and organize other legal matters to help you and your family obtain compensation. Contact us now to schedule a complimentary consultation with our wrongful death attorney in Fort Worth.
Parties Eligible to Bring a Wrongful Death Action to Court
There are key factors that determine if you can bring a wrongful death claim against someone you believe caused your loved one’s death.
When you meet with our wrongful death lawyers, we will uncover the details to move your case forward. Under state law, only certain individuals are eligible to file a wrongful death claim according to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §71.004:
- The spouse of the deceased person
- Their children
- Their parents, in that order of priority
Distant relatives such as cousins, aunts, or uncles are ineligible to bring forth a fatal accident claim in the area. Due to these restrictions, we strongly recommend that you contact our legal team to discuss your case now.
The Texas Law Dog can help you determine who has the right to pursue legal action and what steps you can take today.
Fort Worth Wrongful Death Lawyer Near Me (817) 775-5364
Statute of Limitations in Wrongful Death Claims
In most cases, the statute of limitations for a wrongful death suit is two years, and this means the decedent’s surviving family members must begin the proceedings of filing such a suit within three months of the date of their loved one’s death.
If they do not, the executor of the deceased estate is allowed to file a claim instead unless the surviving family members explicitly request otherwise.
For answers to any further questions regarding who may be eligible to file a suit, speak with a knowledgeable fatal accident attorney in Fort Worth.
Even if you are unsure whether the statute of limitations applies to your situation or if the deadline has passed, we encourage you to speak with our Fort Worth wrongful death lawyer.
Let us provide you with a comprehensive case review to determine if there are still opportunities to pursue financial compensation and justice for your loved one. We encourage you to act promptly and not delay filing a claim.
Available Damages in a Fatal Accident Case
There is no financial sum of money that will make the loss of your loved one easier to manage. Essentially, a wrongful death claim gives surviving family members access to the same compensation that would have been available to the injured person had they survived their accident. The damages the surviving family members could receive can be economic or non-economic.
Economic damages have a clear monetary value attributed to them, while non-economic damages address more subjective issues. The decedent’s estate could receive compensation for economic damages such as costs of medical bills, lost wages, lost inheritance, and funeral costs.
They may also be able to recover non-economic damages such as mental anguish, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, pain and suffering, and more.
In a successful wrongful death claim, the overall compensation due to the family would be divided among the eligible family members. Since the total compensation may be divided among a large group of people in some cases, it is essential to consult a tenacious Fort Worth wrongful death attorney who may be able to help maximize a family’s recovery.
Punitive Damages in Wrongful Death Cases
Any accident that results in the loss of life could be thought of as reckless, but the law allows for only egregious actions to qualify for punitive damages.
These damages are intended to punish the at-fault party and deter them from engaging in similar actions in the future. While not often awarded, if we can show intentional acts or specifically reckless actions led to this loss of life, you may be able to recover punitive damages.
How We Determine What Your Wrongful Death Claim Rights Are
Our team will provide you with clarity on all of your rights in this case, ensuring fair compensation is always the priority. To determine the value of a wrongful death claim in your case, expect our legal team to thoroughly explore all potential avenues for seeking fair compensation.
We will look at factors such as the following to determine the value of the case:
- The person’s age and overall health prior to the incident occurring
- The severity of the recklessness of the at-fault party
- Intentional actions taken by the at-fault party that contributed to this situation
- The education and income-earning potential of the deceased individual
- Previous cases like your own and the value of those claim awards
As a skilled and experienced Fort Worth wrongful death attorney, we have extensive determination in maximizing the fair compensation you will receive in these accidents. You can expect us to be aggressive in examining all potential avenues to seeking truly fair compensation.
Types of Wrongful Death Accidents We Handle
Expect our legal team to remain by your side no matter what type of accident occurs to you or your family without your loved one. If you have a case, we encourage you to contact us today to learn more about your legal options. Our law firm can handle the following cases, so learn more about us today:
- Workplace hazards or chemicals: These include workplace-related death cases from various sectors, including electricians, maintenance workers, factory workers, mine workers, truck drivers, oilfield workers, and trench workers.
- Oilfield deaths: These include fatalities caused by electrical lines, equipment falls, pipe ruptures, and faulty brakes.
- Truck accident deaths: 18-wheeled trucks can cause massive devastation to individuals who are caught up in the wheels of a truck. Truck wreck lawyers often handle cases involving overworked drivers, tired drivers, unfocused drivers, speeding issues, overloaded trucks, and many other safety contraventions.
- Car accident deaths: These may include T-bones, head-on collisions, and drunk driving incidents. We handle cases related to wrong-way drivers as well as those involving multiple parties.
- Motorcycle accident deaths: If your family member died as a result of a motorcycle accident, do not assume it was their fault. Allow our Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer to gain more insight into your case.
When you are facing the loss of a loved one due to the negligence of another person or company, you have the legal right to take action to get justice for your loss.
Without an attorney, you may find yourself unable to calculate the losses you have accurately, simply because the process can be very complex, and you may not receive what you owe. Let our attorney help you and your family to hold those who did this to your family accountable.
There is No Risk in Working with Our Attorney
Wrongful death profoundly affects the lives of many people. When it happens, you deserve to have someone stand by your side and fight for your losses.
There are several key reasons why you can contact our legal team for help:
- There is no cost for a consultation. You do not pay for consultations.
- You pay us nothing until you win your case. There are no upfront costs you have to pay to us as your attorney.
- If, for any reason, you lose your case and do not recover damages, you do not pay for our services.
The value of working with a wrongful death attorney in Fort Worth is critical to recognize. With the help of our team, you will gain the support you need to navigate the process of filing a claim, proving losses, and fighting for justice. Let us get to work now to help you with your case.
Understanding a Survival Claim and the Difference in a Wrongful Death Claim
In Texas, there are two legal strategies that may be available to you after a person causes the death of another party. A wrongful death claim, or lawsuit, aims to hold the negligent party accountable and prevent the same type of incident from causing injuries to others, which compensates the family for emotional suffering and financial losses.
This differs from a survival action, which is filed by the surviving family member to recover damages for any pain and suffering the deceased experienced in the time leading up to death.
These damages account for pre-death losses your family member suffered, allowing the estate to recover those damages. Those benefits are then divided among the heirs.
To pursue a survival claim, you must show that you are representing the decedent’s estate in this claim and that the deceased person suffered a personal injury that caused their death.
This means that if the person had survived, these are the damages they would have likely recovered. We must demonstrate that the wrongful act was the cause of the victim’s injury.
How We Prove Wrongful Death
To seek damages for the loss of life at the hands of another person, our Fort Worth wrongful death lawyer will seek as much evidence as possible to demonstrate what took place and why.
To prove wrongful death occurred, we must demonstrate that the following elements of negligence took place:
- Duty of care: The defendant must have owed a duty of care to your family member. That means the defendant had a legal obligation to act in a specific way that would prevent harm to others.
- Breach of duty of care: A violation of that duty of care occurred in some manner. This means the at-fault party acted or failed to act in some way.
- The breach led to the accident: We must then demonstrate that the accident occurred as a direct result of that breach of duty of care. If they had not breached their duty of care, the accident would not have happened.
- Losses: The final component indicates that the result of the accident was the death of the individual. We must demonstrate the damages, including pre-incident costs such as medical bills, as well as ongoing financial losses.
Due to the complexities of this process, we recommend consulting our compassionate and experienced legal team before settling your claim.
Insurance companies are never motivated to provide you with fair treatment, but instead want to limit the amount of compensation they pay.
What to Expect When You Hire The Texas Law Dog
Your loved one is gone, and you are facing incredible grief, as well as financial losses due to the negligence of another person. At The Texas Law Dog, you can expect our legal team to work aggressively to protect you at this time, fighting for you to recover fair compensation, but also providing you with compassionate support at even the toughest of times. Once you hire us, you can expect the following:
- A comprehensive investigation. Our lawyer will gather information and data to demonstrate fault. We seek out all parties that contributed to your accident to hold everyone accountable.
- We identify all types of losses that you suffered and continue to suffer as a result of this incident. This includes estimating losses related to emotional trauma, pain, and ongoing loss of support. The more extensive we are, the better.
- We handle the insurance companies. This is one of the most important reasons to hire a wrongful death lawyer. We will also contact bill collectors to inform them of the situation. You can focus on your healing.
Expect us to file a wrongful death lawsuit, prove your case, and then seek fair compensation. We do not settle for what is simple but are ready to fight for what is fair.
Call The Texas Law Dog Today to Speak to a Fort Worth Wrongful Death Attorney
If you and your family suffered the loss of a loved one due to another person’s negligence, you deserve justice. Trusting a skilled attorney to represent you could help you and your family focus on healing from your loss rather than dealing with mounting paperwork, incoming deadlines, depositions, and other stressful legal matters.
We can help you pursue the compensation you need after your loss. Call The Texas Law Dog today to schedule a consultation with our wrongful death attorney in Fort Worth.