Houston Injury and Accident Lawyer & Attorney : Vujasinovic & Beckcom Law Firm : Workplace Injuries, Car Accidents, Insurance Claims : Harris County, Texas

Thank you for your question. 

In Texas, the law provides a "cause of action", or a legal claim, against people or companies whose negligence or carelessness cause the death of another person.

Under Texas law, only the direct relations (spouses, parents, and kids) of the person who has died have claims under wrongful death laws.

Do you think brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and other family members should be able to file a legal case if one of their relatives are killed?  Please let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

Wrongful death claims can be very complex, time consuming, and expensive.  That's why you should probably consult with an attorney who specializes in personal injury and wrongful death cases. 

A lawyer who doesn't specialize in personal injury or wrongful death cases may not have the experience or resources to properly handle the case.

Want to read more about Texas accident and injury law? 

Please take a moment to read the following articles:

1.  How to select a Houston lawyer for you injury or accident case

2.  Common misconceptions in Houston truck accident cases

3.  Five things that could wreck your Houston car or truck accident case

4.  The insurance company wants me to give a statement - what should I do?

5.  How to beat the insurance companies at their own game - ask these 5 questions

6.  Do I need a lawyer for my Houston car or truck accident case?

7.  What to do immediately if you are involved in a Houston car or truck accident

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If you or a loved one are injured in an accident in Houston or the surrounding area, you will probably want to hire the best, most competent lawyer for the case.

So how do you find the best lawyer for your particular case?  And how do you even get an appointment to talk to the best lawyers in Houston?

The best and most experienced attorneys in Houston will have people lining up at their door to hire them.  These lawyers will be very selective about the cases they accept and the people they represent.  It's often hard to get an appointment to talk with them directly.

If it's easy to get an immediate appointment with the lawyer you are thinking about hiring, ask yourself why?  Maybe that lawyer doesn't have much else to do?

Once you get an appointment with a lawyer you are thinking about hiring for an injury, accident, wrongful death, or business dispute case you should ask questions.  Lots of them.

Good lawyers will not be insulted by questions.  They will most likely encourage you to ask as many questions as you want.  Most of the best lawyers in Houston will want you to educate yourself during the hiring process.

Any lawyer who seems to discourage your questions or doesn't answer them in a straightforward no-nonsense way should raise red flags.

After all, the best lawyers consider it their job to keep you informed and educated and comfortable during the entire process.

Questions to ask a lawyer you are thinking about hiring

1.  How long have you been in practice?

2.  Do you have any experience handling a case like mine?

3.  Can you give me a list of your past results or past cases?

4.  Have you  ever published any articles about cases like mine?

5.  Have you ever had a case against the same company that was negligent in my case?

6.  Will you actually work on my case?

7.  How much experience does your support staff have in these types of cases?

8.  Have you ever won a large verdict or settlement?

9.  Are you board-certified in any field?

10.  Do you carry malpractice insurance?

11.  Have you ever been disciplined or reprimanded by a bar association?

12.  What is my case worth?

13.  Have you ever represented large companies or insurance companies?

14.  Can I have a copy of my attorney-client contract to take home and study?

15.  Why do you believe you should handle my case and not some other lawyer?

This list does not include every possible good question.  It may depend on your case.  But this list will certainly cover a lot of important areas and get you started down the right road.

Any good Houston personal injury lawyer will be glad to answer all these questions and any other questions you have.  And they will be glad to answer them in a straightforward, honest, no-nonsense way!

If the lawyer is evasive or says he won't answer your questions until you hire him as your lawyer by signing papers, then you should probably just leave the appointment.  That lawyer is either not experienced enough for your case, is desperate for business, or has something to hide.

Have a good question you'd like to suggest? 

If you have other questions you'd like to suggest that are not on the list above, please submit your question to the comments section below.  We will print the most popular and most helpful question in a future post.

For more questions, visit the rest of the entires on this website or go to www.vbattorneys.com.

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Houston, Texas -- Vujasinovic & Beckcom has been prosecuting a truck accident lawsuit against a Victoria-based trucking company, in which one of the company's drivers allowed the over-sized load on the flatbed trailer of his tractor trailer to strike a pick up truck legally parked on the shoulder of US 59 in Montgomery County, Texas, killing a two year old child in the pick up truck. This truck crash happened on October 26, 2006.

Through discovery efforts, the firm recently discovered that the trucking company driver tested positive for cocaine on the day of the crash. Testing documents reveal the driver admitted using cocaine the night before the crash.

The firm further determined that the trucking company's top managers were told by their field manager that the load on the truck was illegal because it was 40,000 pounds over weight and over five and a half feet over wide.

According to sworn testimony by the trucking company's field manager, after he told the managers of this extreme safety risk, the managers told him to ignore the safety hazard and to send the truck on its 250 mile route from Berclair to Woodville, Texas.

The firm further determined that at the time the trucking company hired the driver, it knew that he had a criminal record including three felonies (all of which were drug or alcohol related), a driving record including a DWI, and that his commercial drivers license was revoked.

The law firm further determined that the trucking company ignored a comment on its website in which a motorist told the company that its drivers -- including the driver who killed the young boy -- were driving so unsafely that it was likely they were going to "kill someone," yet the company took no action in response to this warning.

Finally, the law firm discovered that the trucking company falsified the trucker's logs before producing them to the law firm in this litigation, based on a comparison to the drivers logs that were provided to the investigating Troopers at the time of the official DPS investigation. The case is pending in State District Court in Jim Wells County, Texas, and is set for trial in June of 2008.

If you have any information on this truck crash or on the driving and safety habits of trucking companies, please contact us.

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