Wrongful death causes of action are controlled by Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code (CPRC).
Per Sec. 71.004, the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the deceased are the only ones who can bring an action for wrongful death.
If none of the individuals entitled to bring an action have begun the action within three calendar months after the death, then the personal representative of the estate shall bring and prosecute the action unless requested not to by all those individuals.
In most cases, it is advisable to have the wrongful death beneficiaries and the beneficiaries of the estate sign a family settlement agreement prior to taking any action.
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A fiduciary duty is the highest standard of care one can owe to another. The fiduciary relationship is one of trust and confidence. The person or institution who owes the fiduciary duty must put the person’s interests above his or her own interests. Common examples of fiduciary duty include power of attorney holders, executors in wills, and trustees of trusts.
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Insurance Law, Litigation and judgments, Wrongful death and probate
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An insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company. If you make a claim under your policy, Texas law requires that your insurance company acts “reasonably” and in “good faith” when determining whether or not to pay benefits under a policy. If an insurance company fails to act reasonably, it has violated Texas law and you may be entitled to damages.
An insurance company owes a fiduciary duty to its insureds. This means that the insurance company may not put its own interest above that of an Insured. Texas law requires that insurance companies act fairly when dealing with their insured.
Not all denials are done in bad faith, however. If an insurance company has a good reason to deny a claim, then it has acted in good faith. Some examples are: the insured failed to cooperate with insurance company, a policy lapsed, a loss is not covered by the policy or there is fraud. In cases such as these, an insurance company can deny a claim.
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Probate is the process by which you prove that a person is deceased and who should be entitled to the deceased person’s property (including ownership of a lawsuit for injuries sustained prior to death.) The deceased is commonly referred to as the “Decedent” and the property of the Decedent is called the “Estate.” If the Decedent had a will, then the will needs to be taken to probate court where a judge will rule on the will’s validity (called a “prove up”). During this process, the judge will appoint (typically per the terms of the will) a representative of the Decedent’s estate. This person is called an “executor” of the estate. Contact us for more information.
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In Texas, a life insurance policy that is purchased after a person is married, and community funds were used to pay for it, then the surviving spouse may have an ownership interest in the policy. However, a spouse way waive rights to the policy by signing a waiver. If your spouse had designated another as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy without your consent, or if you have questions, please contact us at 214-696-0021
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If someone dies due to the act or omission of another, then there may be a cause of action by the heirs of the deceased for Wrongful Death. If the deceased suffered personal injury prior to death, then the deceased’s estate may have a cause of action called a survival claim. We can assist with either the prosecution of these matters. Some of the services include ancillary probate, appointment of personal representatives, appointment of an independent administrator of an estate, determination of heirs and determination of common law marriage. This also includes obtaining letters testamentary or letters of administration of an estate. Contact us if you have a situation that you would like to discuss in detail.
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Litigation and judgments, Personal injury, auto accident, slip and fall law, Wrongful death and probate
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