Why Hire Our Wrongful Death Lawyer in El Paso?
No one should ever have to bury a family member because someone else was careless about their safety. Sadly, accidents remain a leading cause of death for many age groups. Motor vehicle accidents in particular claim far too many lives. In many cases, these accidents could have been prevented if someone had been more careful. If you have lost a family member in an accident, first, we are sorry that this has happened to your family. While nothing can truly repair the harm done, filing a wrongful death lawsuit can help your family avoid financial hardship while holding the party responsible accountable.
The El Paso injury attorneys at Cal Mundell Law Firm, PLLC may be able to win compensation for you that can replace your loved one’s lost income, cover any bills they may have incurred before passing, and provide you with the financial freedom you need to focus on healing. Cal is experienced in handling this type of case, and our firm has achieved outstanding results for many grieving families.
Attorney for Fatal Accidents Serving Texas and New Mexico.
Call Cal Mundell Today If You’ve Lost a Loved One Due to an Accident.
Understanding Texas Wrongful Death Laws and Your Rights
When someone’s wrongful conduct leads to a death, surviving family members suffer profound losses. Texas law recognizes this reality and allows certain survivors to seek justice by filing a wrongful death lawsuit. These claims help families hold negligent parties accountable while securing compensation for both economic losses and the immeasurable pain of losing someone they love.
Surviving spouses, children, and parents have the legal right to seek compensation for their losses. If these immediate family members don’t take action within three months of the death, the estate’s personal representative must step forward to pursue the claim on behalf of all eligible survivors.
A wrongful death lawsuit is precisely what it sounds like. The suit alleges that the defendant’s wrongful conduct led to the death of the plaintiff’s family member. Generally, these cases involve some type of carelessness on the part of the defendant. Some common types of wrongful death cases include:
- Car accidents – A person may be killed in a collision if another driver was driving carelessly, such as by texting while driving, speeding, or driving drunk. Reach out to our car accident attorney in El Paso to learn more about auto accidents and personal injury law.
- Truck accidents – Truck drivers know that their vehicle is likely to become deadly should they get into an accident, and they have a critical responsibility to drive safely.
- Premises accidents – Accidents can occur when the party tasked with maintaining their premises fails to ensure that the space is reasonably safe for visitors. These situations may include slip-and-falls in restaurants or stores, criminal conduct by a third party in a public place that failed to provide reasonable security, and accidents that take place in another person’s home.
Cal will start by carefully investigating the circumstances of your family member’s accident or the crime against them in order to gather evidence showing the defendant’s negligence.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in New Mexico?
In New Mexico, the decedent’s personal representative must be the one to file this type of lawsuit. In most cases, the personal representative is a surviving close family member, such as the decedent’s spouse, sibling, parent, or adult child. The personal representative’s duty is to secure compensation for the estate before it is distributed to the appropriate parties. The court may appoint a personal representative if no close family member chooses to accept this duty.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Texas?
In Texas, an immediate family member of the decedent must file on behalf of the family. Immediate family members include a surviving spouse, adult child, or parent. However, if none of these individuals file, the decedent’s personal representative may do so on the family’s behalf.
Types of Damages Available in El Paso Wrongful Death Cases
A successful wrongful death claim can recover compensation for multiple types of damages:
- Lost income and financial support that your loved one would have provided
- Lost household services like childcare, cooking, and home maintenance
- Mental anguish and emotional suffering experienced by survivors
- Loss of love, companionship, comfort, and guidance
- Lost inheritance and savings that your loved one would have accumulated
- Punitive damages when death results from gross negligence or intentional acts
Why Should I File a Wrongful Death Action?
There are two main reasons to pursue wrongful death litigation. The first is to protect your family’s financial health. If your loved one worked to support the family, you may be able to recover the amount of money they would have earned throughout their career in addition to multiple other costs and some non-economic damages.
The second reason is to hold the responsible party accountable for their actions. Filing a wrongful death claim can force the defendant to compensate you while deterring careless conduct in the future.
The Importance of Legal Representation in a Wrongful Death Claim
When a wrongful death happens, the deck is already stacked against grieving families. While you’re planning a funeral and trying to hold your family together, the other side’s team of lawyers and investigators is already working to minimize their client’s responsibility. Cal Mundell can step in as your advocate, taking on the legal burden so you can focus on what matters most: your family’s healing.
Cal has spent years learning how these defendants operate, how they try to shift blame, and how they try to deny fair compensation. He will immediately secure evidence before it disappears, interview witnesses while their memories are fresh, and work with experts to reconstruct what happened and calculate the true lifetime value of your loss. Most importantly, he will handle all the aggressive negotiations and courtroom battles, shielding your family from additional stress.
Contact Our El Paso Wrongful Death Lawyer at Cal Mundell Law Firm, PLLC Today
The El Paso personal injury attorneys at Cal Mundell Law Firm, PLLC is skilled at helping grieving families win compensation through wrongful death litigation. Our goal is to secure your family’s financial future while ensuring that you are able to take the time needed to grieve and begin moving forward. For a free consultation, please contact us at 915-250-0700.