League City Wrongful Death Lawyer

Suddenly losing a loved one will be an unbearable loss, regardless of how their death occurred. However, when someone else’s irresponsible actions caused this to happen, that loss can feel even more heart-wrenching and cruel because you know it could have been prevented.

If you believe that another party’s negligent or intentional actions led to your loved one’s untimely death, you might have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim for compensation. A League City wrongful death lawyer understands how traumatic an unexpected loss can be and could work to help your family obtain justice.

Understanding the Concept of Wrongful Death

While any death can have a painful impact on the family and friends left behind, not all deaths result in legally actionable consequences. To pursue a legal claim based on the wrongful death of a loved one, the death must have occurred due to another party’s wrongful, negligent, or reckless actions.

Surviving family members in League City can generally sue someone for wrongful death if their deceased loved one would have had standing to sue that same person had they survived their injury. Wrongful death suits can follow any death resulting from someone else’s actions and commonly involve the following types of incidents or accidents:

• Motor vehicle crashes
• Bicycle or pedestrian accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Slip and falls
• Workplace accidents, such as factory or maritime accidents
• Electrocutions and fires
• Use of defective products
• Medical or surgical malpractice
• Criminal acts of violence

A deceased person’s family could pursue a civil claim for wrongful death, even if the defendant is also facing a criminal prosecution for the same actions. For instance, if someone was driving drunk and crashed their car head-on into the decedent’s vehicle, causing the decedent to lose their life, that driver could face criminal charges for intoxication manslaughter under the Texas Penal Code. Even if a jury convicts the driver and sentences them to jail, that sentence would not help the deceased person’s family.

However, the family members might be able to sue the drunk driver for their loved one’s wrongful death in a civil suit. If the family prevails in their legal wrongful death claim, the drunk driver would have to pay financial damages to the family. A knowledgeable League City lawyer could explain how wrongful death claims work, so that a family understands the process and their role in acquiring damages.

Eligible Parties to a Wrongful Death Claim

State law strictly limits who can file a claim for wrongful death. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71 states that only a deceased person’s surviving spouse, children, or parents can file suit. The administrator or executor of the estate can also bring a claim on behalf of those parties.

A local lawyer could help surviving family members comply with the relevant statutory requirements to file a wrongful death claim and guide them throughout the process.

Meet with a League City Wrongful Death Attorney to Discuss How to Move Forward

Anytime you lose your loved one, there is inevitable pain. Learning that this incident was the direct result of another party’s negligence will make things even harder. If this situation applies to you, then you may have grounds to sue for damages to compensate your loss.

Meet with an experienced League City wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible to learn how these claims work and if filing a lawsuit is an option for your family. Our law firm offers free consultations.