Holding Negligent Parties Accountable Across Ector County & the Permian Basin
No verdict or settlement can undo the loss of someone you love. But when that loss happened because another person or a company failed to act responsibility, a wrongful death claim can give your family a way to demand answers and hold people accountable. Whether you need to go after an oilfield contractor that ignored a known hazard, a driver who ran a red light, or a manufacturer that sold a defective product, Arnold & Itkin can help you seek justice, closure, and compensation.
Our Odessa wrongful death attorneys have represented families across the Permian Basin and nationwide. We understand both the legal complexity of these cases, and the weight of what you’re going through. We fight for our clients like they’re our own families, and that determination and work ethic is behind our track record of recovering more than $25 billion for our clients.
There’s no fee unless we win your case. Call (888) 493-1629 to learn more in a free and confidential consultation.
Under Texas law, a wrongful death claim can be brought whenever someone’s death is caused by another party’s “wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness, or default” (Sec. 71.002).
In practical terms, that covers a wide range of situations, including:
To succeed in their legal case, a family must generally show two things: that the defendant’s negligence or intentional act caused the death, and that as a result, the surviving family suffered real financial and emotional damages.
A Heightened Risk of Fatal Vehicle Accidents in Odessa
Odessa sits at the intersection of two of the most dangerous risk factors in the country: a booming, high-hazard energy industry and dangerous roadways. According to data compiled by the Permian Road Safety Coalition using TxDOT figures, Ector County recorded the most traffic fatalities in 2024 of any of the 28 Permian Basin counties that the group tracks. In 2024, Ector County recorded 51 road fatalities, with Midland County reporting the second most fatalities, at 34 such deaths. In 2025, Ector County had 44 road fatalities reported, second only to Midland County’s 45 road fatalities.
PERMIAN ROAD SAFETY COALITION DATA
County Road Fatalities, 2024–2025
Ector County
51
2024
44
2025
Midland County
34
2024
45
2025
Source: Permian Road Safety Coalition, using TxDOT data
Both commuters and commercial drivers alike face significant risks in this region. Odessa’s roads carry an unusual mix of everyday commuters, heavy oilfield truck traffic, and long-haul freight, often on highways that weren’t built to handle this volume of traffic. When speeding, fatigue, or a poorly maintained commercial vehicle causes a fatal wreck, families are left to pursue justice through a wrongful death claim.
Multiple parties can be at fault for wrongful deaths on the road, including:
While Texas hasn’t had the highest rates of fatalities in the workplace, it has led the nation in overall number of workplace deaths in recent years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), recording more than 550 worker deaths in both 2023 and 2024. Contributing to those egregiously high numbers are well sites throughout the Permian Basin. Oilfields surround workers with heavy machinery, high-pressure systems, and hazardous materials, including highly lethal gases, such as hydrogen sulfide.
BLS DATA
Texas Led the Nation in Workplace Deaths
564
2023 Worker Deaths
557
2024 Worker Deaths
Texas recorded more workplace deaths than any other state in both years, according to the BLS.
Oil and gas companies like Halliburton are often caught cutting corners, which leaves workers paying the price. Across various industries, far too many employers are found to have failed their workers, whether through inadequate safety measures, failure to provide training, not maintaining equipment, and other basic steps that could have eliminated hazards and saved workers’ lives.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Odessa?
Texas law limits who can bring a wrongful death action.
TEXAS LAW
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim
Surviving Spouse
Surviving Children
Surviving Parents
Representative of the Estate
What Compensation Is Available?
Wrongful death claims in Texas allow families to pursue both economic and non-economic damages. In cases that involve gross negligence, where a company or individual acted with conscious disregard for others’ safety, Texas law also allows families to pursue punitive damages, which are intended specifically to punish the wrongdoer and discourage similar conduct in the future.
TYPES OF COMPENSATION
Economic vs. Non-Economic Damages
Economic Damages
Medical expenses incurred before death
Funeral and burial costs
Lost income and benefits the deceased would have provided
Non-Economic Damages
Loss of companionship and consortium
Mental anguish
Loss of parental guidance, for surviving children
Texas gives families two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit. There are limited exceptions, but in most cases, that two-year window is firm. Missing that deadline means losing the right to pursue compensation entirely. Evidence also degrades quickly. Safety records get discarded, memories fade, and companies have every incentive to control the narrative before a lawsuit is filed. The sooner you speak with an attorney, the strong your case will be.
Our Firm’s Track Record in Wrongful Death Cases
Families across Texas and the country have trusted us to hold negligent companies accountable for fatal accidents. We are honored to come alongside these grieving families in their darkest hour and to help them through.
$209 million verdict for a family who lost a husband and father to a preventable oilfield hazard
$125 million settlement for the widow of a dredge worker killed in an offshore explosion
While we are local attorneys, our dedication and advocacy on behalf of our clients has marked our legal team as one that defendants must take seriously. Our attorneys have been included in Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Lawdragon 500, and The Inner Circle of Advocates. We know how to secure fair results for our clients, and our legal opponents know it and are willing to make our clients real offers. And if a defendant won’t treat our client fairly, we are more than prepared to take the case to a jury to win the results that our clients are owed.
Reach Out to an Odessa Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
Losing a loved one because of someone else’s negligence is a devastating, life-altering event, and pursuing justice shouldn’t add more stress to an already overwhelming time. At Arnold & Itkin, our attorneys handle every part of the legal process, from investigating what really happened to standing up to the largest companies in the country, so your family can focus on the grieving process and moving forward.
Call (888) 493-1629today to learn how we can help your family find answers. Consultations are free, and you don’t pay unless we win.
How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Odessa?
In Texas, the statute of limitations is two years from the day that the deceased passed. The sooner you talk with a wrongful death lawyer, the sooner they can work to meet the deadline as well as collect evidence before it’s gone and build the strongest case possible on your behalf.
What Types of Damages Can Be Addressed in a Wrongful Death Claim?
Family members can claim quantifiable damages, such as related hospital bills, lost income, and funeral and burial costs. They can also claim damages that don’t have a receipt, such as emotional pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of guidance, and more. In cases where egregious negligence was involved, punitive damages might also be involved.
How Long Does a Wrongful Death Case Take?
It will depend on the details of a wrongful death claim, on how complicated it is, whether the defendants are willing to admit liability, and how busy the court is. It can be normal for a wrongful death claim to last several months to a few years before it’s finished. If a wrongful death claim in Odessa can be settled before a trial, then it will typically resolve in a shorter duration of time.
Will Compensation from a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Be Taxed?
In most cases, compensatory damages are not supposed be taxed in Texas. And wrongful death settlements and jury awards fall under the category of compensatory damages. If a wrongful death settlement is paid out in a lump sum, that shouldn’t change things. Any wrongful death compensation shouldn't be taxable.
What Does It Cost to Hire an Odessa Wrongful Death Lawyer?
At Arnold & Itkin, we take wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis. First, your initial consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation. If you do hire us, you won’t have any upfront costs to worry about. We cover all the costs associated with your case, and we only get paid once we recover compensation for you. Our team is here to shoulder the legal and financial challenges so that you don’t have to think about them.
