Lost a loved one in Friendswood due to negligence? The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you seek justice. Call (281) 992-8633 for immediate legal assistance. Our Friendswood wrongful death lawyers can help you.
Their death could have been avoided, but someone else was careless. You may be entitled to compensation, and our lawyers can help you fight to get every cent you deserve.
Alton C. Todd is double Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Since 2000, he and his award-winning legal team have won millions for clients and grieving families in cases such as Friendswood medical malpractice, brain Injuries,
How Our Friendswood Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Fatal Accident
The insurance company might seem sympathetic. However, it’s important to know that it does not have your best interests at heart. It’s more concerned with profits than helping you and your family navigate the challenges you’ll experience in the weeks, months, and years to come. It will fight to deny your claim for benefits or get you to accept a lowball settlement.
Force fair negotiations by turning to our acclaimed Friendswood personal injury lawyers for help with your wrongful death claim.
When you choose The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers, you send a clear signal to the at-fault party. You’re serious about your case and will not be giving up without a fight.
We’re AV-Rated trial attorneys who have received some of the top honors in the legal industry, including Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Take this time to grieve your unimaginable loss, and let us handle the rest as we:
- Coordinate a prompt and thorough investigation into your loved one’s fatal accident
- Determine precisely how and why your loved one’s fatal accident happened
- Identify all potentially liable parties (and their insurance companies)
- Gather and analyze evidence that can be used to build a strong case and leverage a top-dollar payout during negotiations
- Represent you during conversations and negotiations with other parties
- Help you understand the potential benefits and drawbacks of accepting settlement offers you may receive
- Advocate for you at trial if you’re continually lowballed by the insurance company or at-fault party
No amount of money will bring your loved one back. We understand that. However, it can help to make life more manageable in the wake of your tragedy.
Our Friendswood injury attorneys are here to help you at no upfront cost. We work on contingency, so we don’t get paid unless you do.
Call our law office serving Friendswood, TX, to set up a free consultation to learn more.
How Does Texas Define Wrongful Death?
The Texas Wrongful Death Act, also known as Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, provides that a person may be liable for another person’s death if it is the result of their:
- Wrongful act
- Negligence
- Carelessness
- Unskillfulness, or
- Default.
In other words, wrongful death is a death caused by the careless or intentionally harmful actions of another person.
What Are the Leading Causes of Wrongful Death in Friendswood?
In truth, almost any traumatic accident or criminal act has the potential to cause death.
At The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers, we advocate for families in wrongful death cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Uber and Lyft rideshare accidents
- Bus accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injury
- Nursing home abuse
- Assault
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Negligent security
- Defective products
- Catastrophic injuries, including burns, amputations, spinal cord injury, and brain injury
- Boating accidents
If you’ve recently suffered the death of a family member in an avoidable accident in Friendswood, call The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers. We can help you explore your legal options and fight to recover the financial accountability your family deserves.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Texas?
Not just anyone can file a wrongful death lawsuit in the State of Texas.
Under the state’s Wrongful Death Act, this right is reserved for the victim’s:
- Surviving spouse
- Child(ren)
- Parent(s)
If none of these beneficiaries survive the victim, or if they fail to bring a claim within three months, then the personal representative of the victim’s estate reserves the right to take legal action.
What Damages Are Available in Texas Wrongful Death Cases?
First, it’s important to understand that there are two potential claims that can be filed after a family member’s death in Friendswood, TX.
The first is a wrongful death claim. This is filed by surviving family members and intended to compensate them for their losses.
Under Texas state law, the following damages can be awarded to plaintiffs in a wrongful death case:
- Funeral expenses
- Lost financial support and income
- The value of household services
- The value of lost inheritance and savings
- Mental pain and anguish
- The value of lost comfort, companionship, love, and society
If a wrongful death lawsuit goes to trial, a jury could also award punitive damages. These are limited to situations where there is clear and convincing evidence of a defendant’s intentionally harmful or grossly negligent actions, however.
Additional compensation may be awarded to the estate through a survival action. In Texas, the victim’s estate can pursue a survival action if the victim survived their fatal injuries for a period of time before death.
The damages are intended to compensate the decedent for the suffering and costs they experienced prior to death and might include money for:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
Our Friendswood wrongful death attorneys will help you identify all potential options for financial recovery and work to secure a substantial payout on your behalf.
How Much Is My Family’s Wrongful Death Case Worth?
Every family will have a unique story. The details of those stories are what will ultimately dictate how much a related claim for damages is worth.
That’s why there’s no standard settlement or payout in Friendswood wrongful death cases.
Important considerations include:
- How old the victim was at the time of their death.
- The victim’s life expectancy prior to their fatal accident.
- The victim’s financial contributions to their surviving family members.
- The victim’s projected earning capacity at work.
- The victim’s contributions in the household.
- The relationship between the victim and their surviving family members.
Expect the damages and value of your wrongful death claim to be hotly contested by other parties. Put The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers in your corner and set yourself up for a fair fight. Our law firm works with respected experts and specialists who can lend critical insight into and support for your wrongful death case.
We won’t let the other side push you around or call the shots. We’ll work hard to protect your opportunity to get the financial justice you deserve.
How Can Shared Fault Impact a Friendswood Wrongful Death Settlement?
Your loved one is getting blamed for their fatal accident in Friendswood, TX. What does this mean for your wrongful death case?
Simply put, it could limit or prevent a financial payout.
Texas has a modified comparative negligence system. There is a strict 51 percent bar to recovery.
As a result, damages are barred when a victim’s liability exceeds half. Damages are reduced when liability is equal to or less than half.
Let’s say your spouse was killed in a fatal car accident in Friendswood, Texas. The at-fault driver claims that your spouse was speeding and, therefore, contributorily negligent. Your spouse is assigned 20 percent of the blame for the fatal accident. As a result, the damages in your related wrongful death claim would be subject to a 20 percent reduction.
Our wrongful death attorneys in Friendswood know your loved one isn’t here to defend themselves. They’re not here to tell their side of the story. We’re ready to stand up and protect them from these (often baseless) claims of shared responsibility.
What’s the Statute of Limitations on Texas Wrongful Death Lawsuits?
You will have two years from the date of your loved one’s death to pursue financial compensation in the State of Texas.
Once the statute of limitations expires, you will give up the right to demand justice and get the money you deserve.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Friendswood Wrongful Death Lawyer
You don’t have to bear the burden of your loved one’s wrongful death on your own. Demand accountability from those responsible. Better yet, call The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers and let us demand it for you.
Our Friendswood wrongful death attorneys have 58+ years of experience and an unparalleled ability to win top results for clients like you.
Put our experience and results to work for your benefit. Call our law office in Friendswood, TX, to get started. We offer a free consultation, so reach out to schedule yours today.
Friendswood, TX Emergency Rooms
- HCA Houston ER 24/7 – 225 E Parkwood Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546
- Memorial Hermann-GoHealth Urgent Care – 1505 Winding Way Dr #112, Friendswood, TX 77546
- CareNow Urgent Care – Friendswood – 1729 S Friendswood Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546
*Disclaimer — we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office In Friendswood, TX
The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers
312 S. Friendswood Dr.
Friendswood, TX 77546
Phone: (281) 992-8633
Business Hours:
Monday: 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
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Our personal injury law firm in Friendswood, TX, also provides:
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