A person may file a claim for wrongful death when a member of his or her family is killed due to the negligence of another party. Common causes of wrongful deaths include:
Cyclist and pedestrian crashes: Cyclists and pedestrians are extremely vulnerable to serious accidents. Since they are largely unprotected when traveling on roads and sidewalks, even a minor collision with a vehicle can have catastrophic results.
Defective products: Products that have been recalled, like motor vehicles and other poorly designed products, can routinely result in death. When a person’s death is due to a defective product, responsible parties can be held liable in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Automobile crashes: Automobile crashes are a common cause of wrongful deaths. Unfortunately, Texas has a high auto-accident rate, and this leads to countless deaths each year. Often, these deaths are the result of negligence. When a driver causes a fatal automobile accident due to distracted driving, speeding, reckless driving, impaired driving, or some other form of negligence, recklessness, or carelessness, he or she may be held liable for wrongful death.
Workplace accidents: Workplace accidents are common, and they routinely result in the death of employees––specifically those who work in dangerous professions. Factory workers, firefighters, roofers, electricians, construction workers, agricultural workers, and ironworkers are just some of the employees whose occupations routinely place them in harm’s way. Despite the dangers inherent in these types of positions, employers are required by law to minimize risks and prevent harm to their employees. Therefore, when an employee loses his or her life due to an employer’s negligence, the deceased worker’s family members can pursue a claim for wrongful death against the employer.
Slip-and-fall accidents: Finally, although most slip-and-fall victims survive their accidents, these types of events occasionally result in death. If surviving family members of a victim can prove that a manager or property owner was aware of a dangerous condition that caused a deadly slip-and-fall accident, then they can obtain compensation via a wrongful death claim.