How Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers Helps After a Wrongful Death in Bedford
A Bedford wrongful death lawyer handles the investigation, the insurance companies, and the deadlines so your family can grieve. You’ve suffered a loss no one should face, and the bills often start arriving before the funeral is over. If someone else caused your loved one’s death, Texas law lets you hold them accountable.
When you hire us, we:
- Investigate to find out what happened and who is responsible
- Gather and evaluate the evidence
- Document your family’s losses and calculate the value of the claim
- Work with professionals in other fields when they strengthen the case
- Protect your loved one’s memory if the insurer tries to blame them
- Negotiate with the insurance companies and defense lawyers
Our Bedford personal injury attorneys work from our office on Plaza Parkway and represent families across Hurst, Euless, Bedford, and the rest of Northeast Tarrant County.
What Is a Wrongful Death Claim in Texas?
A wrongful death claim lets surviving family members recover compensation when a person dies because of someone else’s wrongful act, carelessness, or recklessness. Under the Texas Wrongful Death Act, the right your loved one would have had to sue passes to the family.
A claim can also arise from an intentional criminal act. Wrongful death cases are civil matters. They are decided in civil court and are completely separate from the criminal process, so the responsible person may owe your family compensation whether or not they are charged.
Texas also allows a survival claim. It is brought by the estate and covers what your loved one could have recovered had they lived, such as medical bills and the pain they endured before death.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Texas?
Under Texas law, the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the person who died can file a wrongful death lawsuit:
- A surviving spouse
- Children of the deceased, including adopted children
- The deceased person’s parents
If none of these family members files, the right does not simply disappear. The personal representative of the estate may be able to pursue the claim.
What Is My Bedford Wrongful Death Case Worth?
There is no set value for a wrongful death case. It depends on the circumstances of the death and what your family has lost, including:
- Your loved one’s age, life expectancy, and earning potential
- The identity and ages of surviving dependents
- Costs incurred before death
- The pain and suffering your loved one endured
- Your family’s grief and suffering
Economic damages available to survivors can include medical expenses from the injury to the date of death, lost financial support, lost employment benefits such as retirement and health insurance, the value of lost household services, property damage, and funeral and burial costs.
Non-economic damages can include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of companionship and consortium, and the loss of a parent’s care, support, and guidance.
Money can’t bring your loved one back. It can protect your family’s stability and future.
Can We Recover If Our Loved One Is Blamed for the Accident?
Yes, as long as your loved one was not more than 50% responsible. “Blame the victim” is an old insurance tactic, and insurers use it even in fatal cases.
Texas follows modified comparative negligence. If your loved one was 50% or less at fault, your family can recover, reduced by their share of fault. At 51% or more, the family loses the right to damages. That is why an early, independent investigation matters.
What Causes Fatal Accidents in Bedford and Tarrant County?
Most fatal accidents in the Bedford area happen on the road or at work, but a death can follow almost any kind of negligence. We handle wrongful death claims arising from:
- Car accidents and truck accidents
- Motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle accidents
- Bus, Uber, and Lyft accidents
- Workplace and construction site accidents
- Boating accidents and swimming pool drownings
- Slip and falls and other dangerous property conditions
- Dog attacks
- Defective products
- Medical malpractice and nursing home neglect
- Violent crime and negligent security
How Do You Prove Negligence in a Texas Wrongful Death Case?
Most wrongful death cases rest on negligence: someone failed to use reasonable care, and your loved one died as a result. Your family must show:
- The other party owed a duty of care
- They breached that duty
- The breach caused the fatal accident
- Your family suffered damages
Insurers want proof before they pay. Depending on the case, we gather police and accident reports, eyewitness statements, surveillance video, scene photos, inspection and maintenance records, vehicle recording data, hiring and training records, and testimony from qualified witnesses.
How Long Do You Have to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Texas?
In Texas, survivors generally have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Once that deadline passes, the family can no longer sue for damages.
Claims against a city, county, or state agency can require written notice within six months or less under the Texas Tort Claims Act. We know you are grieving. Even so, an early call protects evidence and keeps every option open.
About Brad Parker
Bedford Wrongful Death FAQs
How much does a wrongful death lawyer cost in Bedford?
Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers handles wrongful death cases on a contingency fee. Your family pays nothing upfront, and you don't owe attorney's fees unless we recover compensation for you. The fee is a percentage of the recovery agreed in writing before we start, and our fee will never exceed your recovery.
Who can file a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas?
The surviving spouse, children (including adopted children), and parents of the person who died can file, together or separately. If none of them files within three months of the death, the executor or administrator of the estate may file unless the family asks them not to. The estate can also bring a survival claim for the losses your loved one suffered before death.
Does the person who caused the death have to be convicted of a crime?
No. A wrongful death case is a civil claim decided in civil court. It is separate from any criminal case. Your family can seek compensation whether or not the responsible person is charged, and the civil case uses a lower standard of proof than a criminal trial.
What if the insurance company says my loved one was at fault?
Texas uses modified comparative fault. If your loved one was 50% or less responsible, your family can still recover, reduced by that percentage. If they were more than 50% responsible, the family recovers nothing. We investigate independently so blame is assigned on the evidence, not on the insurer's story.
How long do we have to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas?
In Texas, a wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the date of death. Claims involving a government agency can require written notice within six months or less. Evidence fades quickly, so it is wise to speak with a lawyer as soon as your family is ready.
Visit Our Bedford Office
Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers – Bedford Office
2317 Plaza Pkwy #100, Bedford, TX 76021
- Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday – Sunday Closed