In Houston, when a crash caused by someone else kills a family member, the spouse, children, and parents can bring a wrongful death claim under Texas law for lost support, companionship, and mental anguish. Owsley Law Firm handles Houston wrongful death from its Houston offices, comes to you, and charges no fee unless it wins. Call before you speak with any insurer.
Wrongful Death in Houston
Where do Houston fatal crashes happen?
Harris County records more traffic deaths each year than any other Texas county. Most fatal crashes here happen on the freeways at night, and many involve alcohol, which opens dram shop claims against the bar that served the driver.
Harris County records more traffic deaths each year than any other county in Texas, and most of them happen on the freeways at night. Fatal Houston crashes often happen on I-45, I-10, or the 610 Loop after midnight, and many involve a driver who had been drinking, which opens a dram shop claim against the bar that served them. Fatal crashes involving Ship Channel trucks on SH-225 and I-10 East add commercial insurance to the case. Houston Police’s Vehicular Crimes Division investigates fatal crashes, and its reconstruction report is the foundation of the civil case.
Corridors where Houston wrongful death cluster
- I-45 Gulf Freeway at the 610 South Loop and Broadway
- I-10 Katy Freeway between Beltway 8 and the 610 West Loop
- US-59 Southwest Freeway through the 610 interchange and Westpark
- I-45 North Freeway at Beltway 8 and the Hardy Toll Road merge
- US-290 Northwest Freeway at 34th Street and the 610 interchange
- Westheimer Road from Kirby to Beltway 8, one of the county’s busiest surface streets
What to do now
What should you do after a fatal crash in Houston?
- Get examined the same day. Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center (Level I trauma) and Ben Taub Hospital (Level I trauma) handle the serious wrongful death injuries from Houston; an urgent care visit the same day is enough to start the record if you are not transported.
- Photograph the vehicles, the road, and your injuries where it happened, especially on I-10 (Katy Freeway and East Freeway) and I-45 (Gulf Freeway and North Freeway), where scenes are cleared within minutes.
- Get the Houston crash report. Houston Police Department crash reports (Texas form CR-3) are available through the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System about 10 days after the crash, and HPD Records Division also provides them. The firm obtains it for clients at no charge.
- Report the crash to your own insurer, but give no recorded statement to the other driver’s carrier until you have counsel.
- Know where the case goes. Houston wrongful death suits are filed in the Harris County Civil District Courts, 201 Caroline St.
- Call the firm. Both Houston offices are minutes from the courthouse, and the consultation is free.
Go deeper
More on wrongful death claims in Houston and Texas.
Common questions
Houston wrongful death questions
Who investigates a fatal crash in Houston?
The Houston Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Division inside the city, and the Harris County Sheriff or DPS outside it. Their reconstruction report is available to the family and is the foundation of the civil case.
Where is a Houston wrongful death case filed?
In the Harris County Civil District Courts at 201 Caroline Street downtown, and the estate’s survival claim is filed with it.
What role does the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences play in a Houston wrongful death case?
It is the county’s medical examiner office. Its autopsy and toxicology reports establish the cause of death and whether alcohol or drugs were involved, for either driver. Those findings often become central evidence in the civil claim. Families can request the reports once they are final, which can take several weeks after the crash.
Can a family bring a civil case while the Houston driver faces criminal charges?
Yes. The criminal case and the civil wrongful death claim run separately. A conviction can help the civil case, but the family does not need one, because the civil standard of proof is lower. Restitution ordered in a criminal case rarely covers a family’s real losses. The two-year civil deadline keeps running while the criminal case moves.