What’s Considered a Wrongful Death?
In simplest terms, a wrongful death occurs when negligence or wrongdoing causes someone's death. For example, a wrongful death case might be possible after worker was killed on the job because of a company’s failure to follow basic safety standards. In this situation, a family would need the help of a Dallas wrongful death law firm to prove their loss was preventable and caused by the employer’s negligence.
Causes of Wrongful Death
While a wrongful death can happen in many different types of situations, there are a handful that our Dallas wrongful death law firm often handles.
Two of the most common causes of wrongful death include:
- Work Accidents: If a person was killed while working, it’s likely that their employer could have prevented their death. Failure to maintain equipment, provide safety equipment or training, or hiring unqualified workers can trigger a deadly accident. It’s the legal and ethical responsibility of employers to make sure these things don’t happen. Common fatal work accidents in Dallas include incidents in oilfields as well as construction accidents.
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: As one of the most populated metro areas in the state, Dallas is no stranger to serious motor vehicle accidents. Often, deadly accidents could have been prevented if a driver had been paying attention or had obeyed traffic laws. Additionally, manufacturers might be liable for the death of a person in a vehicle collision because of faulty parts, like airbags that failed to deploy.
The accidents mentioned above are not the only events that cause wrongful deaths. Our Dallas wrongful death attorneys have helped families recover after all types of accidents—from serious offshore disasters to instances of accidental drownings.
Our wrongful death law firm in Dallas can take on cases involving:
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Action?
When a person dies due to the fault of another, a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed on their behalf. This gives the family a chance to see justice served and to recover compensation for medical bills, funeral costs, the loss of support and companionship, and more. It can go a long way in helping the surviving family members experience some peace of mind, not to mention helping them achieve financial stability.
You can typically only file a wrongful death action on behalf of a loved one if you are one of the following:
- Spouse of the decedent (the person who has died)
- Minor or adult child of the decedent
- Parent of the decedent
- Adopted child or children of the decedent
- Adoptive parents of the decedent
- Personal representatives of the decedent’s estate
Wrongful death cases are filed in civil court. Separate criminal charges may be filed against the at-fault party if what they did was illegal, but the two cases will not influence one another, and the judgments will be separate.
In addition to handling wrongful death actions for families across the U.S., our Dallas trial lawyers also handle workers’ compensation, Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), and Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) cases for workers who have lost their lives in the course of their employment. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your loss, we have the experience to provide the counsel you require.
Our Wrongful Death Lawyers in Dallas Have a Reputation for Results
We know that we can't undo tragedy, but we do know how to help our clients get answers, secure a measure of justice, and get the compensation they need to not worry about finances moving forward. Our legal team can't promise specific results, but we do commit to fighting tirelessly for every client we help, facing any legal hurdle and any legal opponent for them, no matter what.
Some of our past wrongful death case results include:
- A $222 million verdict won for a widow who lost her husband to scalding injuries sustained in an industrial accident, which was caused by a faulty valve that the company already knew was in disrepair and would eventually fail
- $125 million won for the widow of a dredge worker who died from burn injuries caused by an offshore explosion
- $81 million recovered for two adult children who filed a wrongful death case for losing their mother in an accident, a case that broke U.S. records
- $29 million recovered for a single family who lost a loved one, a record for known settlements in wrongful death offshore cases
- $27.7 million recovered for the family of a husband and father who was killed when a pipe broke loose and hit him on the job, fatally injuring him
- $12.5 million recovered for the family of a man who was killed by a fallen power line that electrocuted him
- $10.9 million verdict won for the family of a mother of four who was killed in a grade crossing accident, while her five-year-old daughter was left paralyzed. We proved that Union Pacific had failed to install active warning devices at the crossing, in spite of sight lines being deficient and multiple fatal accidents occurring in that same spot years earlier.
- $10 million recovered in less than six months (from filing) for a wrongful death trucking case
Learn more about how we might be able to help you with your wrongful death claim by requesting a free case review: Call (888) 493-1629.
About Dallas, TX
Dallas has a strong economy, thanks to the varied industries that operate within the city limits and throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Widely recognized as the epicenter of the nation’s oil and gas industry, Dallas is also a key transportation hub, complete with major railways, the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, an inland port, and interstate highways. Until the 1930s, the Dallas economy relied primarily on cotton, cattle, and the major railways that intersected the region. That shifted when petroleum was discovered just east of Dallas in nearby Kilgore.
Discoveries in the Barnett Shale, Haynesville Shale, Eagle Ford Shale, and Permian Basin further solidified Dallas as a leading player in oil and gas. Oil tycoon H.L. Hunt lived and worked in Dallas, which also contributed to the region’s standing as a leader in oil production. Today, Dallas has thriving telecommunications, defense, financial services, manufacturing, and transportation industries. AT&T, Energy Transfer Equity, Tenet Healthcare, Southwest Airlines, and Texas Instruments are five of the top publicly traded companies that have headquarters in Dallas. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is home to 22 Fortune 500 companies in all.
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Start Getting Answers. Contact Our Dallas Wrongful Death Attorneys Today.
Your family is facing a future far different than the one you had imagined. Our firm is here to help make that future a little brighter. In addition to offering experienced, aggressive representation against at-fault parties to help you see justice served, we provide the personal attention and caring support that you need during this traumatic time. We know this moment is difficult and we're ready to be the team that fights for the justice you deserve.
Over the years, Arnold & Itkin has earned a reputation for being the advocates that families need during the most difficult moments of their lives. We’ve recovered billions of dollars for clients by never backing down from a fight and refusing to let negligent parties get away with harming others. While we can’t change what happened to your loved one, we’re ready to help you find answers from those who could have.
Call (888) 493-1629 to learn how our Dallas personal injury firm can fight for answers from those who caused your loss.