SNEED|MITCHELL
THE INJURY TEAM®
HOUSTON WRONGFUL DEATH LAWYER
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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Experienced Houston Wrongful Death Attorneys
Nothing is more devastating than losing loved one due to a person or company's negligent or reckless actions. At Sneed & Mitchell, we handle the most challenging and catastrophic wrongful death cases in Harris County. Wives loose their husbands, parents love their children, and each case the loss of life was preventable. Nothing is more serious to us than securing justice the death of your loved one, so we fully dedicate our undefeated trial team, our resources, and our case experts to proving your entitlement to the largest recovery possible.
At Sneed & Mitchell, our award winning trial team is nationally recognized for our client recoveries in wrongful death cases. Our undefeated trial attorneys also have over 50 years of combined experience in holding wrongdoers accountable for their negligence and a go-to law firm for wrongful death cases.
If you’ve have lost a loved one due to potentially negligent actions of a person, company, government entity, or product manufacturer, call 713-800-6676 today to speak with a Wrongful Death Lawyer. At Sneed & Mitchell we regularly assist families in fatal accident cases and will help you understand and protect your legal rights.
What Is Wrongful Death?
A wrongful death occurs when someone dies due to the negligent, intentional, or wrongful act of another person or entity. These claims are civil actions that allow the deceased's family or estate to sue the responsible party for damages. Wrongful death lawsuits here in Texas can be filed by the deceased's spouse, children, parents, or the personal representative of the estate.
When someone that owes an individual a duty of care and the breach of that duty is the proximate cause of the victim's death, that may constitute a wrongful death.
As an example, if the driver of an 18 wheeler fails to maintain a safe following distance and causes a fatality when striking a passenger vehicle, the family can assert a wrongful death lawsuit against the truck driver. Drivers owe a duty of care to other people to operate their vehicle with reasonable care. Similarly, if a workers dies due to a scaffold collapse and the evidence shows the general contractors failed to ensure all scaffolding met OSHA standards, the family may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the contractor.
Common Types Of Fatal Accident Lawsuits
If a person’s negligence contributed to someone's death, that's grounds for a wrongful death claim. Claimants have to prove that the circumstances of a loved one's death were tied to the actions or inaction of the defendant. The more direct the relationship, the more responsible the at-fault party is.
The following are examples of what qualify as wrongful death claims:
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Vehicle Accidents
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Head-on collisions
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Texting and driving
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Bicycle accidents
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18-Wheeler collisions
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Rollover incidents
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Drunk driving accidents
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Workplace Fatalities
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Safety protocol violations
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Offshore injuries
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Crush accidents
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Explosions
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Defective Equipment
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Premises Liability
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Failures to safeguard
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Poorly maintained gates
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Drowning incidents
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Negligent Security
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Failure to protect
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Choking and strangulation
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Defective or unsafe toys
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Abuse and neglect
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Mass Torts
Wrongful death events is the most traumatic and devastating result of someone else’s negligence in Houston, Texas. Attorney Brit Mitchell and her team do not believe that you should have to accept a wrongful death event without a fight. Your family is entitled to justice, in the form of answers, closure, and compensation from the person of company negligent in causing the loss of your loved one. Attorney Brit Mitchell is experienced in wrongful death cases can provides clients the resources, experts, and strategies give you the ability to go up against one or more at-fault parties after a fatal accident. She will handle the complicated legal aspects of your case while your family is able to focus on your emotional healing.
Who Can File A Wrongful Death Claim?
Under Texas law, the only persons eligible to file a wrongful death claim are close family members of the victim, with spouses and children having first priority over all other relatives. The closest living relatives have the strongest claims, so distant relatives can't file an additional claim if the spouse or children have already filed. Our Texas Wrongful Death Lawyers are willing to discuss the case possibilities with your family and develop an inclusive plan for how to move forward with the case.
The law considers the eligible person, a "Qualified Beneficiary", which includes the following.
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Spouses or life partners
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Children (18 years or older)
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Siblings
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Parents
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Parents of unmarried children
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Any other dependent relatives
It is essential to keep in mind that there is a statute of limitations on wrongful death claims. You have 2 years to file a wrongful death claim after you have suffered the loss of a loved one. Contact our Texas wrongful death attorneys as quickly as possible to get started on your claim.
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 Houston 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 Texas wrongful death lawyers of Sneed & Mitchell LLP. We have more than 50 years of experience helping clients with their wrongful death cases.
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How much is my case worth?This perhaps is the most often asked question that the personal injury lawyers at Sneed|Mitchell hear from clients. Really, there is no simple answer to this question because every case is unique. However, there are several factors that are taken into consideration when evaluating the amount of the claim. The extent of your injuries, the medical bills associated with your injury, the loss of income, your pain and suffering, damage to your property, present and/or future medical treatment needed and other financial losses that you may have experienced. Unfortunately, there is no exact formula to calculating your claim, no single case is alike. The attorneys at Sneed|Mitchell can help look over your case and assist in properly evaluating your case to ensure you receive the max compensation you deserve.
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What to do after a personal injury accident?This perhaps is the most often asked question that the personal injury lawyers at Sneed|Mitchell hear from clients. Really, there is no simple answer to this question because every case is unique. However, there are several factors that are taken into consideration when evaluating the amount of the claim. The extent of your injuries, the medical bills associated with your injury, the loss of income, your pain and suffering, damage to your property, present and/or future medical treatment needed and other financial losses that you may have experienced. Unfortunately, there is no exact formula to calculating your claim, no single case is alike. The attorneys at Sneed|Mitchell can help look over your case and assist in properly evaluating your case to ensure you receive the max compensation you deserve.
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How much is my case worth?This perhaps is the most often asked question that the personal injury lawyers at Sneed|Mitchell hear from clients. Really, there is no simple answer to this question because every case is unique. However, there are several factors that are taken into consideration when evaluating the amount of the claim. The extent of your injuries, the medical bills associated with your injury, the loss of income, your pain and suffering, damage to your property, present and/or future medical treatment needed and other financial losses that you may have experienced. Unfortunately, there is no exact formula to calculating your claim, no single case is alike. The attorneys at Sneed|Mitchell can help look over your case and assist in properly evaluating your case to ensure you receive the max compensation you deserve.
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How much is my case worth?This perhaps is the most often asked question that the personal injury lawyers at Sneed|Mitchell hear from clients. Really, there is no simple answer to this question because every case is unique. However, there are several factors that are taken into consideration when evaluating the amount of the claim. The extent of your injuries, the medical bills associated with your injury, the loss of income, your pain and suffering, damage to your property, present and/or future medical treatment needed and other financial losses that you may have experienced. Unfortunately, there is no exact formula to calculating your claim, no single case is alike. The attorneys at Sneed|Mitchell can help look over your case and assist in properly evaluating your case to ensure you receive the max compensation you deserve.
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How much is my case worth?This perhaps is the most often asked question that the personal injury lawyers at Sneed|Mitchell hear from clients. Really, there is no simple answer to this question because every case is unique. However, there are several factors that are taken into consideration when evaluating the amount of the claim. The extent of your injuries, the medical bills associated with your injury, the loss of income, your pain and suffering, damage to your property, present and/or future medical treatment needed and other financial losses that you may have experienced. Unfortunately, there is no exact formula to calculating your claim, no single case is alike. The attorneys at Sneed|Mitchell can help look over your case and assist in properly evaluating your case to ensure you receive the max compensation you deserve.
OUR LAWYERS FULLY UNDERSTAND
THE IMPACT OF 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
