fatal car accident lawyers

Houston Fatal Accident Lawyers

Caring advocacy when negligent motorists cause fatal crashes in Texas

Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of death in America. Tragically, most car and truck accidents are entirely preventable. There’s simply no excuse for driving while intoxicated, driving while distracted, or speeding. Fatigued and drowsy truck drivers and car drivers should get off the road. The bigger the vehicle and the faster it’s traveling, the more likely a driver, passenger, pedestrian, or bicycle rider will suffer severe or fatal injuries in an accident.

At Kishinevsky Law Firm, our Houston lawyers understand there is no monetary award that can ever bring back your loved one. However, we can help you seek the full amount of damages Texas law permits to hold the wrongdoers responsible, to compensate your family for financial damages, and to provide the additional compensation that gives you time to grieve and start your life again.

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fatal car accident attorneys

How deadly are Texas roads and highways?

The Texas Department of Transportation has numerous statistics that confirm that driving on Texas roads is often deadly. Data for 2021 shows the following:

  • 4,489 people died on Texas roads in 2021 – a 15% increase from 2020.
  • 1,678 men died and 580 women died.
  • More than half the fatalities occurred in rural areas.
  • 613 people died due to head-on crashes.
  • At least one person died on Texas roads every single day of 2021.
  • 521 motorcycle riders (drivers and passengers) were killed.
  • 824 pedestrians were killed.
  • 90 bicycle riders died.
  • 433 people died because the driver was distracted.

What types of Houston vehicle accidents cause fatalities?

Many fatal traffic accidents in Houston involve broadside collisions, where the front of one car strikes the side of another vehicle. Broadside accidents often happen at intersections. Head-on crashes are also often deadly, and generally occur because a driver is in the wrong lane, such as when a driver takes the wrong off- or on-ramp or crosses into another lane.

Many multi-vehicle accidents are deadly because car is struck multiple times. Jackknifes, rollovers, and underride truck accidents can also cause fatal injuries.

Many motorcycle accidents are deadly, as the data above confirms, because motorcycles do not provide the rider with any physical protection. Pedestrians and cyclists, as well, are simply no match for a car, let alone a commercial truck.

What are the causes of fatal car and truck accidents?

At Kishinevsky Law Firm, our Houston fatal accident lawyers work with investigators, with the police, and through the formal discovery process to show how a fatal accident took the life of your loved one and why the defendant should be held responsible.

Some of the leading causes of deadly accidents in Houston are:

  • Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Driving while distracted by texts, phone calls, eating, drinking, or other distractions that take a driver’s eyes off the road and mind off possible emergencies
  • Driver fatigue
  • Speeding, failing to yield, running through stop signs, and other traffic violations
  • Driving too fast for weather or traffic conditions

Who is responsible for the death of my loved one?

We understand the devastation of losing a parent, spouse, child, or sibling in a preventable tragedy. Our seasoned car accident, truck accident, and other types of vehicle accident lawyers can help you and your family investigate to determine what caused the crash and to file claims against everyone responsible.

The defendants may include:

  • The driver
  • The owner of the vehicle, if different than the driver
  • A trucking company, like the broker that arranged the shipment or the company that requested the shipment
  • An employer
  • A seller of alcohol to someone who was visibility intoxicated when served or was a minor, and later caused the deadly accident due to their intoxication
  • The Texas Department of Transportation or other governmental agencies or entities
  • Other defendants depending on how the accident occurred

Who can file a wrongful death and survival claim in Houston?

Survival claims are filed by a representative of the deceased’s estate. These are claims that are brought on behalf of the deceased individual by his legal representative(s). Survival damages are awarded to the decedent’s estate and divided as part of the estate. As part of the decedent’s estate, they are subject to any debts owed by the decedent.

Wrongful death actions are filed by surviving relatives of the deceased, including spouses, children, and parents. Unlike survival claims, which are intended to be damages recovered on behalf of the deceased individual, wrongful death damages are awarded directly to each relative making the claim and are intended to compensate each of these individuals for the damages they suffered by losing the deceased from their life.

What is the value of a fatal vehicle accident in Houston?

In wrongful death claims due to a fatal Houston accident, the damages generally may include:

  • The funeral and burial costs
  • The lost earning capacity of the decedent
  • The value of the decedent’s care, services, support, household services, advice, and other family contributions
  • The pain and mental anguish suffered by the decedent
  • The decedent’s medical expenses
  • The loss of companionship, society, and support the decedent would have provided
  • Past and future mental anguish suffered by the surviving family members
  • The loss of any inheritance had the death not occurred
  • Expenses of psychological or mental health treatment for the surviving family members
  • Court costs

In cases of egregious wrongs, such as when a fatal accident is caused by a drunk driver, punitive/exemplary damages may also be available.

In some situations, the same incident that gives rise to a civil claim for damages for severe injury or death also results in the at-fault-parties being criminally charged and prosecuted. Successfully resolving a claim for catastrophic injuries or death is difficult on its own, but there is an added layer of complexity in situations where the civil claim is going on at the same time as a criminal prosecution. Our attorneys have helped numerous clients successfully resolve their claims for catastrophic injury and/or wrongful death in these types of situations, and we can help you navigate the often-complicated terrain of successfully prosecuting your civil injury claim in situations where a criminal prosecution for the same incident is taking place at the same time.

Houston fatal accident attorney

Do you have a fatal vehicle accident lawyer near me?

You can discuss your rights after a loved one dies with the Kishinevsky Law Firm at our office located at 13831 Northwest Fwy, Suite 312 in Houston. There’s plenty of parking, and a bus stop right in front of our building. We’re here for you during this very difficult time.

We’ll explain your rights and discuss how we fight to hold the people that caused the death of your loved one accountable.

Talk to our respected Houston fatal accident lawyers today

We understand your need to mourn. We work with you to help you balance your need to grieve and your need to obtain justice for your loved one. The Houston attorneys at the Kishinevsky Law Firm are ready to help you now. We’re your loved one’s voice. We’ll work to show the defendants are liable and that they should pay the maximum of wrongful death damages under Texas law. To discuss your rights, call our offices or fill out our contact form today. We’re dedicated to honoring your loved one.