Did you lose a family member in a fatal crash or another incident in Laredo, Texas? A wrongful death claim can hold responsible parties accountable and secure the financial stability your household needs going forward. It can’t bring your loved one back, but it can provide a sense of delusion.
A Laredo wrongful death lawyer at Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. can guide you through this process. Contact us at (956) 606-4878 for a free consultation.
Our legal team has decades of combined experience helping families pursue the justice and financial recovery they need after a devastating loss. Let us fight for the outcome your family deserves.
Why Hire Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. After a Wrongful Death in Laredo, TX?
Fatal injury cases demand advocates who deeply understand Texas wrongful death law and can advocate for your family’s financial and emotional needs after a loss.
You need a dedicated firm with the resources to pursue accountability and the sensitivity to provide compassionate client service.
Clients throughout Laredo, TX, trust our firm because:
- We represent every wrongful death client on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs to get started
- We’ve been recognized by leading organizations, including Texas Lawyer Magazine, and inducted into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Our founding attorney has taken hundreds of trials and arbitrations to verdict over decades of practice
- We have recovered millions and millions in compensation for injured individuals and grieving families
- We offer bilingual legal representation in English and Spanish to fully support Laredo families
Call today to schedule a free consultation with a Laredo personal injury attorney who will handle your case with the dedication it deserves.
How is Wrongful Death Defined Under Texas Law?
Under Texas law, a wrongful death occurs when an individual dies due to the wrongful act or unlawful conduct of another. Put plainly, if your loved one would have had grounds to file a personal injury suit had they survived, eligible family members can take civil action.
These civil actions operate independently of any criminal proceedings. Even if criminal charges are never filed or do not result in a conviction, your family can still bring a wrongful death claim, which relies on a lower burden of proof than criminal cases.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Texas?
The Texas Wrongful Death Act strictly limits who can initiate a claim following a fatal loss. Under state statutes, legal standing is granted exclusively to:
- The surviving spouse
- Surviving biological or legally adopted children
- Surviving parents
Siblings, grandparents, and extended relatives are not permitted to file wrongful death lawsuits under Texas law. If eligible family members do not file within three calendar months of the death, the personal representative of the deceased’s estate may initiate the lawsuit on behalf of all eligible beneficiaries.
Common Reasons for Wrongful Deaths in Laredo
Fatal accidents in Texas often result from human negligence or carelessness. In the Laredo area, the high level of industrial, transportation, and construction work frequently contributes to wrongful deaths.
In Laredo, wrongful death claims frequently involve:
- Commercial truck accidents
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Defective products
- Premises liability
- Slip and fall incidents
- Intentional wrongdoing or inadequate security
Many fatal accidents involve multiple contributing causes and more than one negligent party. Our attorneys will thoroughly investigate to identify every cause and every responsible party, ensuring your family receives full accountability from motor carriers, property owners, or equipment manufacturers.
Wrongful Death Claims Involving Undocumented Family Members
Families in Laredo frequently wonder how immigration status affects their right to legal recovery. Texas courts have consistently affirmed that the immigration status of the deceased or the surviving relatives does not bar a family from bringing a wrongful death claim or securing financial compensation.
Insurance defense lawyers sometimes attempt to use a person’s immigration status to intimidate families or lower settlement offers. However, immigration status is irrelevant to how an accident occurred. If you have concerns about your family’s legal status, speak with an attorney directly to understand your rights.
Wrongful Death Claims Involving Commercial Trucks and Freight Operations
Laredo is a major hub for international commerce, sending thousands of commercial tractor-trailers across the World Trade Bridge and onto local highways daily. This volume of heavy truck traffic increases the risk of commercial vehicle accidents, which are usually one of the most catastrophic collisions on the road.
Liability in a fatal semi-truck crash often implicates the truck driver and other parties, including, but not limited to, trucking companies, cargo loading entities, freight brokers, and maintenance contractors. This is especially true when safety violations like excessive driving hours or unsecured loads contribute to the crash.
Incidentally, commercial trucking fleets carry high-value liability policies, often ranging from $750,000 to over $5,000,000. That makes identifying every liable entity and insurance policy crucial to securing a complete recovery.
How Is a Laredo Wrongful Death Valued?
No monetary award can replace a beloved family member. However, a full financial recovery can lower your economic stress and protect your household’s future. You may need attorneys and financial/medical specialists to calculate what your claim is truly worth.
Key factors influencing case value include:
- The victim’s age, overall health, and life expectancy
- Past earnings and future ability to earn income
- The loss of help with household chores, management, and daily chores
- Medical bills incurred before the person passed away
- Funeral, burial, and memorial expenses
- The emotional pain, trauma, and grief suffered by surviving family members
- How careless or intentional the at-fault party’s actions were
- The limits of any commercial or personal insurance policies
- Arguments by opposing lawyers claiming the victim was partly at fault
The best way to understand what your claim is worth is to speak with an experienced wrongful death attorney in Laredo.
Damages in a Texas Wrongful Death Claim
Texas law permits eligible family members to pursue both economic and non-economic damages to address the economic and personal sides of a wrongful death. The former covers financial losses; the latter covers nonmonetary losses.
Recoverable damages in a claim may include:
- Medical expenses incurred before passing
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Lost wages and future income
- Lost inheritance
- Loss of household services
- Loss of companionship
- Grief experienced by surviving relatives
- Loss of parental guidance and moral nurture for surviving children
- Loss of consortium for a surviving spouse
In rare cases, Texas law may also permit exemplary damages to punish the wrongdoer. These damages can provide an additional sense of justice and closure, not to mention increase the value of your claim.
An experienced attorney can help you understand the damages you’re entitled to during a free consultation.
What Happens if My Loved One Is Being Accused of Causing the Accident in Texas?
Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code applies a modified comparative negligence system with a 51% bar. You can still collect financial recovery as long as your loved one was 50% or less at fault for the accident. However, your payout will be reduced by their assigned percentage of responsibility.
If the defense proves your loved one was 51% or more responsible, Texas law bars your recovery.
Insurance carriers frequently use fault-shifting arguments to protect their bottom line in wrongful death cases. Our attorneys know how to defeat unfounded blame claims.
Proving A Texas Wrongful Death Case
To succeed in a wrongful death lawsuit based on negligence, your legal team must establish four core elements:
- Duty of care. The defendant owed a legal duty to operate safely and protect others from harm.
- Breach of duty. The defendant violated that duty through negligent behavior, carelessness, or dangerous actions.
- Causation. That breach directly caused the fatal injuries.
- Damages. The surviving family members suffered quantifiable financial and personal losses.
Building a successful lawsuit requires securing many types of evidence, including crash reports, forensic accident reconstructions, medical records, autopsy reports, and video surveillance footage. Testimony from financial and medical experts may also be necessary to establish the full value of your claim.
How Much Time Do I Have to Initiate a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Texas?
Texas law sets a strict filing deadline for wrongful death actions. In most cases, you have two years from the exact date of death to file a claim in court. Missing this window will cause the court to dismiss your lawsuit permanently.
Contacting an attorney immediately allows your legal team to comply with all deadlines.
How Much Do Laredo Wrongful Death Lawyers Cost?
A wrongful death lawyer usually costs nothing upfront because the case is handled on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront legal fees, retainers, or hourly invoices while an attorney builds your claim. You pay attorney fees only as an agreed percentage of the final settlement or jury verdict we secure on your behalf.
If we do not recover financial compensation for your family, you owe zero attorney fees. Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. offers free case evaluations so families can explore their options without financial pressure.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Laredo Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
While no lawsuit can restore what you lost, securing financial recovery can offer stability and legal accountability during a challenging time. Having experienced trial attorneys on your side helps protect your rights
Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. is prepared to put decades of trial experience behind your case. Call our office today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a Laredo wrongful death attorney.
Visit Our Laredo Personal Injury Law Office
At Trujillo Gonzalez, we serve injury victims across Webb County.
