You’re familiar with all the ways a person can die – they can die in a car accident, because of a heart attack, because of a disease like cancer, because of a homicide, a drowning accident, an airplane crash, and so on. The possibilities are endless.
Not all deaths are the same in the legal context. A death that occurred because of natural causes like a seizure or cancer (that doesn’t have to do with an occupational disease) or a heart attack from obesity, is quite different than a death that occurred as a result of any of the following:
- A homicide
- A car accident
- A hazing incident
- An amusement park accident
- A defective automobile
- A dangerous drug
- Medical malpractice
- A plane crash
- An act of terrorism, such as a bombing
- An active shooter incident
- Workplace violence
- A workplace accident
When someone dies as a result of someone else’s fault or negligence, such as an individual, a manufacturer, or a business, the victim’s survivors may be able to file what is called a “wrongful death claim” or a wrongful death lawsuit.
When a victim’s survivors file a wrongful death lawsuit, they are seeking damages (compensation) for their losses, such as medical bills for the deceased, funeral expenses, the decedent’s lost wages, loss of companionship, etc.
Wrongful death claims in Texas encompass all kinds of wrongful deaths from car accidents to dangerous drugs to birth injuries to medical malpractice and everything in between. A wrongful death claim may be filed against an individual, a doctor, a hospital, a college, a company, and even government agencies for behaving in a negligent manner.
Who can sue in a Texas wrongful death claim?
- The decedent’s surviving spouse
- The decedent’s children
- The decedent’s parents
- The personal representative or executor of the decedent’s estate (after three months of the death)
To learn more about filing a wrongful death claim in Texas, contact The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC. Call (888) 493-6529 for a consultation.