Losing a family member to an accident is absolutely devastating. Our Houston wrongful death attorneys are here to help grieving families. We want to provide aid during this difficult time. A family member’s death can cause intense mental anguish, pain, and suffering for the survivors. These damages are compounded when another person’s negligent or reckless actions are to blame. 

Located in Houston, Texas, the Cobos Law Firm serves a broad range of clients throughout Texas and across the nation. Our wrongful death attorneys have helped numerous families obtain compensation following a wrongful death incident. When you need help, our wrongful death lawyers are ready to advocate for you and your family. 

If you have lost someone you love in an accident, please do not hesitate to contact our Houston wrongful death attorneys.

The easiest way to define the term “wrongful death” is when a person’s negligent or intentional actions cause another person’s death. In such a case, the family members of the deceased person are entitled to compensation. This compensation helps them recover from the loss suffered by those family members. 

A wrongful death claim exists if a family member dies due to the negligence of another individual. This might be in a refinery explosion, a vehicle collision, an eighteen-wheeler truck wreck, or doctor or hospital malpractice. It can also include a bar that overserves its customers (called a “dram shop” action). 

Wrongful death laws in Texas and across the United States provide a way for the deceased individual’s family members to obtain compensation from the responsible parties who caused the death of their loved one.

Certain family members can file a “wrongful death” lawsuit. This includes the surviving spouse, the children, and the parents of the deceased individual. An adopted child might file a lawsuit if the adoption was fully and legally completed.

Like a wrongful death, a survival lawsuit provides a way for family members to obtain compensation following a family member’s death. A “wrongful death” action focuses on the loss suffered by the family members. However, a “survival” action focuses on the pain and suffering of the deceased individual.

In a survival action, the deceased individual’s estate would bring legal action on behalf of the deceased individual. Any compensation awarded to the estate would then be distributed per the last will of the deceased individual.

When a person or company acts in a way that causes the death of another person, the responsible parties can be held liable to the perished individual’s family members under Texas law. Following such an incident, the deceased individual’s family members can file a wrongful death and survival lawsuit against the responsible parties. Such a lawsuit must be filed within two years of the deceased individual’s death.

 A “wrongful death” claim is separate and distinct from a “survival” claim. However, both sets of claims are most frequently brought in the same lawsuit. Wrongful death or survival lawsuits hold a severe nature and high damage amounts (often millions of dollars). In turn, it is common for these lawsuits to require extensive discovery. This process can last for many months. 

In a wrongful death claim, the standard of proof is the “preponderance of the evidence.” This means that the victim’s family members must show that it is more likely than not that the Defendant caused the death.

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Oftentimes, it is difficult to identify all the responsible individuals following a death. Sometimes it is obvious which person or company caused the incident, such as in a car crash caused by texting and driving. It is often difficult to identify all the responsible parties, such as in a refinery explosion, where numerous subcontractors were involved in plant operations. 

Many attorneys and law firms solely focus on only the most obvious defendants. In turn, these attorneys leave money on the table and fail to hold accountable many defendants. When considering whether to file a wrongful death or survival lawsuit, it is important to find trustworthy wrongful death attorneys that will seek to hold all responsible individuals and companies accountable.

Our experienced survival lawsuit and wrongful death attorneys will file a lawsuit seeking family members’ compensation for their non-economic and economic damages. This includes loss of companionship and death-related expenses.

Such expenses can put a financial strain on the family and include:

• Lost income 
• Medical expenses
• Funeral Expenses 
• Grievance and Bereavement 
• Other relevant expenses

While monetary awards cannot bring back the deceased individual, the jury will establish an amount that recognizes the responsible party’s harm and compensates the family member. Obtaining full compensation requires highly skilled wrongful death attorneys. They must express the emotional stress, pain, and suffering, and the family’s desolation because of the responsible party’s actions.

The Cobos Law Firm wrongful death attorneys are aggressive and committed to ensuring that responsible individuals and companies are held accountable for negligent actions. Our Houston wrongful death attorneys understand the nuances of wrongful death and survival actions.

We have experience with many types of wrongful death cases

• Car accidents
• 18-wheeler truck accidents
• Fire-related incidents 
• Explosions
• Deaths related to defective products

At the Cobos Law Firm, our consultations are always free. This provides you an opportunity to evaluate our team. In turn, you can understand the strategic mindset, aggressive demeanor, and winning mentality that sets us apart. Moreover, we offer contingency legal agreements, which means that our attorney fee’s existence and size depends exclusively on how well we do for you. 

Give us a call today or fill out our online form to begin the process of filing your wrongful death or survival lawsuit.