THE INJURY TEAM®
SNEED & MITCHELL
THE INJURY TEAM ©
WRONGFUL DEATH LAWYERS
Loss of Life & Survival Action Claims
If your loved one was killed by the negligent or unsafe actions of a person or company, the wrongful death attorneys at Sneed & Mitchell can bring a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party and hold them fully accountable for your loss.
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Houston Wrongful Death Lawyers
Wrongful Death & Survivorship Experts Of Houston, Texas
At Sneed & Mitchell LLP we are widely recognized for handling high-stakes catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Our trial attorneys have over 60+ years of combined experience and over $150 million recovered for grieving families in complex accidents. Located here in Houston, Texas, we handle many of the fatal-accident cases that make local news, and just this month recovered seven-figures for children whose father died in an offshore tugboat accident.
Although money doesn't make up for the death of a loved one, a wrongful death lawsuit ensures the negligent people or entities are held accountable for their actions and also use proper safeguards moving forward.
If your loved one died due to another party’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional actions, contact Sneed & Mitchell today. In a free consultations one of our attorneys will investigate the incidents, determine liability, eligibility, evaluate your damages, and discuss the details involved in litigating wrongful death and survivorship action. We also operate of a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront costs and we are only compensated if we recover compensation.
2525 Robinhood St #1100, Houston, TX 77005 (713)800-6676
Sneed & Mitchell Is Designed To Handle Wrongful Death Cases
We built our practice dedicated to ensuring that each surviving spouse, child, or parent pursuing legal actions has the greatest opportunity to received maximum compensation. Some of the key differences that makes Sneed & Mitchell best suited to litigated cases involving fatalities includes:
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Attorney-Led Intake Calls: This ensures the details of your circumstance are properly analyzed and investigated during the initial consultation. A litigation attorney handling the initial call also helps potential clients fully understand their rights and options. This allows clients to ask more complex questions, such as those involving burial expenses, life insurance, loss, loss of future support or inheritance, and more.
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A Network of Wrongful Death Case Experts: We work with Texas' leading forensic pathologists, accident reconstructionist, economists, medical professionals, and industry experts to establish causation and prove how the defendant's negligence resulted in a preventable death and the range of compensation available to you.
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We investigate fatal accidents, identify responsible parties, preserve critical evidence, and uncover the negligent acts and safety violations that caused the death.
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Complex Liability Experts.
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Aggressive Wrongful Death Litigation. We use corporate records, sworn depositions, internal communications, incident reports, and expert testimony to establish liability and expose misconduct by responsible companies and individuals.
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Lifetime Financial Loss Evaluation. We work with forensic economists to calculate lost future earnings, financial support, employment benefits, and household services while pursuing damages for mental anguish, lost companionship, and loss of inheritance.
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Proven High-Stakes Results. Our attorneys, including Brit Mitchell and Niles Sneed, have recovered eight-figure results and more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts for injured clients.
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No Fee Unless We Win. Every case is handled on contingency, so surviving families pay no attorney's fees unless we recover compensation on their behalf.
Proving a wrongful death case requires more than establishing that someone died because of negligence. We build each case around the defendant's breach of duty, the evidence establishing causation, and the full extent of the family's losses. Our attorneys also investigate survival claims and pursue exemplary damages when the evidence supports gross negligence.
What A Wrongful Death Lawyer Does
Here in Texas, wrongful death claims are civil lawsuit filed on behalf of surviving spouses, children, or parents when a person dies because of another party's negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct. The law, know as the Texas Wrongful Death Act, is codified within Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Unlike in criminal cases, a wrongful death lawsuit pursues compensation for the financial and emotional losses suffered by surviving family members. Fatal accident cases are usually the result of commercial truck crashes, medical malpractice, industrial accidents, pedestrian accidents, and premises liability issues.
What Damages Are Available In Wrongdul Death Cases?
In a Texas wrongful death lawsuit, surviving family members can seek economic, non-economic, and, in certain cases, punitive damages for the loss of their loved one. The initial two categories of damages encompass a range of compensable losses.
Economic Damages
Understanding Your Houston Wrongful Death Case
Explore essential resources on your rights, your options, and what to expect — everything you need to navigate the legal process, all in one place.
What Is A Wrongful Death Claim In Texas?
Here in Texas, wrongful death claims are civil lawsuit filed on behalf of surviving spouses, children, or parents when a person dies because of another party's negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct. The law, know as the Texas Wrongful Death Act, is codified within Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Unlike in criminal cases, a wrongful death lawsuit pursues compensation for the financial and emotional losses suffered by surviving family members. Fatal accident cases are usually the result of commercial truck crashes, medical malpractice, industrial accidents, pedestrian accidents, and premises liability issues.
Who Can File A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Section 71.004 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code provides that only specific immediate family members or the estate representative can bring a wrongful death claim.
Eligible Claimants
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Surviving Spouse: Includes same-sex spouses as well as those in legally recognized common-law marriages.
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Surviving Children: Includes biological and legally adopted children of any age (minors or adults).
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Surviving Parents: Includes biological and adoptive parents (step-parents and foster parents generally do not qualify).
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Personal Representative or Executor of the Estate: Can file the claim only if the surviving spouse, children, and parents do not file within three months of the death, unless all those eligible family members request that no suit be filed.
This law is sometimes a shock to families, because the code excludes siblings, grandparents, extended family members, friends, and unadopted step-relatives and non-marital partners.
If you believe that the death of your loved one was improper and you're considering pursuing a wrongful death case, contact an experienced attorney today. Knowing you can assert a claim, if an estate claim needs to be opened, and what evidence needs to be preserved is crucial information.
Wrongful Death vs. Survival Actions: The Important Distinction
Section 71.004 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code provides that only specific immediate family members or the estate representative can bring a wrongful death claim.
Eligible Claimants
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Surviving Spouse: Includes same-sex spouses as well as those in legally recognized common-law marriages.
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Surviving Children: Includes biological and legally adopted children of any age (minors or adults).
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Surviving Parents: Includes biological and adoptive parents (step-parents and foster parents generally do not qualify).
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Personal Representative or Executor of the Estate: Can file the claim only if the surviving spouse, children, and parents do not file within three months of the death, unless all those eligible family members request that no suit be filed.
This law is sometimes a shock to families, because the code excludes siblings, grandparents, extended family members, friends, and unadopted step-relatives and non-marital partners.
If you believe that the death of your loved one was improper and you're considering pursuing a wrongful death case, contact an experienced attorney today. Knowing you can assert a claim, if an estate claim needs to be opened, and what evidence needs to be preserved is crucial information.
How Do We Prove Liability In A Personal Injury Lawsuit
To file a lawsuit, our wrongful injury lawyers show that your loved one lost his or her life as a result of another’s negligence. In a negligence claim, the attorney representing the injured party needs to prove the following:
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Duty of Care: This refers to a legal obligation that requires an individual to exercise a reasonable level of care so as to prevent harm to others. For instance, a doctor has a duty to perform up to the standard of care established by the medical community.
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Breach of Duty: An individual or entity may be considered negligent if they breach their duty of care. For example, if a doctor performs an operation in a manner considered unacceptable by the medical community’s standards, they may have breached their professional duty.
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Causation: The defendant’s negligence must have been directly responsible for the injury or damage that occurred.
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Damages: For a victim to file a claim, the injury needs to have caused either economic or non-economic damages.
It is tough to determine the average wrongful death settlement amount because the amount a family entitled to depends on a variety of factors, including the age of the deceased, the cause of death, and the financial contribution the deceased made to their family. Generally, the younger the deceased, the higher the value of the case. This is because the victim has more years ahead of them in which they could have been earning an income and contributing to their family. The cause of death is also important. If the death was caused by someone else’s negligence, such as a drunk driver, then the case may be worth more than if the death was simply due to old age. Finally, if the deceased was the primary breadwinner for their family, then their death may have a more significant financial impact on their family's future. An experienced wrongful death attorney will aid you in fighting to recovery maximum compensation for you and your family, taking into consideration the range of damages and specific facts regarding how your family is impacted by the loss.
Compassionate And Experienced Wrongful Death Lawyers
If your loved one's death was caused by another person’s wrongful conduct, it’s important to take action. While contacting a lawyer may not be the first thing on your mind while dealing with the aftermath of such an unexpected tragedy, protecting your legal rights can help you recover compensation for damages caused by the death, such as medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support and more.
To file a wrongful death claim, contact the wrongful death lawyers of Sneed & Mitchell LLP. We have more than 50 years of experience helping clients with their wrongful death cases.
Compassionate And Experienced Wrongful Death Lawyers
If your loved one's death was caused by another person’s wrongful conduct, it’s important to take action. While contacting a lawyer may not be the first thing on your mind while dealing with the aftermath of such an unexpected tragedy, protecting your legal rights can help you recover compensation for damages caused by the death, such as medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support and more.
To file a wrongful death claim, contact the wrongful death lawyers of Sneed & Mitchell LLP. We have more than 50 years of experience helping clients with their wrongful death cases.
WE FULLY UNDERSTAND
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS
DAMAGES IN WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS
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Lost earning capacity
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Emotional pain and suffering
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Loss of love and companionship
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Lost care, support, & maintenance
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Lost inheritance or support
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Funeral and burial expenses
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Punitive Damages - When Possible
SERIOUS INJURIES
AND SPECIALTIES
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Automobile Collisions
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Drunk Driving Accidents