Most car accidents only produce minor injuries and property damage, but worse accidents do happen every day across the state of Texas. If your family received the tragic news that one of your loved ones lost their life in a car crash caused by another driver, it can take some time for you to process your grief and really start to understand the impact of that loss on your life.

Some people wrongly presume that the only compensation they can receive after a fatal car crash comes from insurance. However, you have the right to hold a driver whose irresponsible or illegal behavior directly contributed to the crash that cost your loved one their life.

Wrongful death claims offer economic justice

Depending on the circumstances leading to the crash, it’s possible that the driver responsible has already faced criminal consequences. If they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if the crash occurred during the commission of another crime, it’s possible that the driver will wind up charged and convicted for a crime relating to the crash itself.

Criminal justice can give your family a sense of closure, but it will not undo the financial consequences of a tragic loss. A wrongful death lawsuit involves the surviving dependents of someone who died in a crash seeking financial compensation for the provable consequences of their loss. Your right to seek compensation through a lawsuit does not end with a criminal conviction or require one.

Texas allows you to seek compensation for the financial impact of a tragedy

There are many ways that the death of a loved one will impact your household financially. You will lose out on the income and benefits that they provided. You will also have to deal with the expenses related to the crash itself, including medical care for your loved one, vehicle repair or replacement and funeral expenses.

Additionally, there are other ways your loved one may have contributed to your household, such as performing work around the house or maintaining your vehicles. Determining all of those various contributions will help you determine the appropriate amount of damages to seek in a Texas wrongful death lawsuit after a car crash.