Celina, Texas Wrongful Death Lawyers

Receiving the news that a loved one has been killed in a wreck or accident often leaves families shocked and unsure of how to respond. The state of Texas allows certain surviving family members to seek compensation through a legal claim, but a claim must follow strict requirements. Even then, the insurance company or liable party may try to avoid paying in full. If you need assistance taking legal action after a loved one's death, contact a Celina, TX wrongful death attorney.

At Burress Injury Law, we have over a century of combined attorney experience and a win rate of more than 99.9 percent. Our firm is here to help you seek accountability for your loved one's death while giving you the space you need to grieve.

Firm History

Losing a family member because of another person's carelessness is a loss no settlement can undo, but pursuing a claim can bring some measure of accountability and financial stability during an incredibly difficult time. Burress Injury Law has stood alongside grieving families across Texas since 2008, handling wrongful death claims that arise from car wrecks, commercial truck collisions, defective products, premises liability, and other forms of negligence. Operating out of six offices statewide, our firm serves families in Celina and throughout Collin County who are searching for answers and accountability after losing someone they love.

Wrongful death cases carry a weight unlike any other type of claim our firm handles. Families are often navigating grief, funeral arrangements, and sudden financial strain all at once, and the last thing they need is to also fight an insurance company determined to minimize what it owes. Our attorneys step into that role so families do not have to, investigating the circumstances of the death, identifying every responsible party, and building a claim that reflects the full scope of what was lost.

Causes of Wrongful Death We Can Investigate in Celina

A wrongful death claim can arise from many different circumstances, and our firm investigates each case individually to determine what happened and who bears responsibility. Some of the most common causes we see include:

• Fatal car wrecks
• Commercial truck collisionscaused by driver fatigue, unsafe scheduling, or improper maintenance
• Drunk driving wrecks, which may also involve a dram shop claim against a bar or restaurant that over-served an intoxicated driver
• Pedestrian and motorcycle accidents caused by a negligent driver
• Defective products that fail in a way that causes fatal injury
• Unsafe conditions on another party's property, such as inadequate security or hazardous walkways
• Medical negligence resulting in a preventable death

Regardless of the cause, our goal remains the same. We will work to determine exactly what led to the death, gathering the evidence needed to prove it, and holding every responsible party accountable for the harm caused to a grieving family.

Which Family Members Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Celina, TX?

Texas law limits who may bring a wrongful death claim to certain surviving family members, including a spouse, children, and parents of the deceased. These individuals may file a claim together, or one may file on behalf of all eligible family members, and the law generally requires that the claim be brought within a specific window after the death. Siblings and more distant relatives are generally not permitted to bring a wrongful death claim on their own, even if they were close to the deceased and suffered a genuine loss.

If none of these family members choose to file within three months of the death, the estate's representative may generally bring the claim on behalf of all eligible survivors, unless a family member has specifically requested that no lawsuit be filed. These rules can affect who has the right to pursue compensation and how a recovery is divided among survivors, so it is critical to speak with an attorney early to understand exactly how the law applies to a specific family's situation and to avoid disputes among relatives later in the process.

How Much Is a Wrongful Death Claim Worth?

The value of a wrongful death claim depends on many factors specific to the family and the circumstances of the death. Compensation can include the financial support the deceased would have provided in the future, the value of household services and guidance they contributed, and the loss of companionship, comfort, and inheritance that survivors have experienced. Funeral and burial expenses are also generally recoverable, along with any medical expenses incurred in a failed effort to save the deceased's life.

Much of this value depends on projections about future earnings and the nature of the relationship between the deceased and surviving family members. Calculating a fair amount often requires input from financial experts and a thorough review of the deceased's income history, health, career trajectory, and life expectancy.

A young parent with dependent children, for example, may support a claim with a substantially different value than an older individual without dependents, even when the circumstances of the death are similar. Our firm works to build a complete picture of these losses rather than relying on a quick estimate that undervalues what a family has actually lost.

What Is a Survival Action?

A survival action is a separate legal claim that allows the deceased's estate to recover for losses the deceased personally experienced between the time of the injury and the time of death. This can include pain and suffering, medical expenses incurred before death, and lost earnings during that period. Unlike a wrongful death claim, which belongs to surviving family members, a survival action belongs to the deceased's estate and is generally pursued by the estate's representative.

In many cases, a family may pursue both a wrongful death claim and a survival action at the same time, since the two claims address different types of losses and are generally brought as part of the same overall lawsuit. Our firm reviews the circumstances surrounding a death carefully to determine whether a survival action applies and how it might add meaningfully to the compensation available to a grieving family.

How Our Firm Handles Negotiations in Wrongful Death Claims

Insurance companies often approach wrongful death claims with the same tactics used in other personal injury cases, attempting to minimize the value of a family's loss or shift blame onto the deceased. Our firm approaches these negotiations differently, presenting a well-documented case supported by financial records, expert opinions, and a clear account of the relationship between the deceased and their surviving family members. We do not allow an insurer's initial evaluation of a family's loss to set the terms of the conversation.

When an insurer refuses to negotiate in good faith, our firm is prepared to take a wrongful death claim to trial. That willingness often changes how the other side approaches settlement discussions, since insurance companies are aware that our firm does not simply accept a first offer to close out a difficult case quickly. Every negotiation is handled with the seriousness a family's loss deserves, and our attorneys remain available throughout the process to answer questions and explain each step along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wrongful Death Claims in Celina

Our History of Successful Case Results

Over the years, Burress Injury Law has recovered more than $500 million on behalf of injured clients and grieving families across Texas, earning more than 900 five-star reviews from those we have represented. Among our notable case results is an $18 million confidential settlement reached on behalf of a family affected by a commercial vehicle wreck that caused multiple deaths.

Reaching that settlement required an extensive investigation into the trucking company's hiring practices, maintenance records, and internal safety policies, along with detailed input from accident reconstruction and economic experts.

Cases involving multiple deaths and corporate defendants often demand this level of preparation, since the parties responsible rarely acknowledge fault without being confronted with thorough, well-documented evidence tying their conduct directly to the deaths that occurred. While no past result can guarantee what will happen in a future case, this outcome reflects the depth of investigation our firm brings to the most serious wrongful death claims.

Our Community Involvement and Scholarship

Beyond the wrongful death and personal injury claims we handle, our firm invests in the communities we serve throughout Texas. The Underdog Scholarship supports students throughout the year who are balancing coursework with jobs, family responsibilities, or other significant hurdles on their path toward a degree.

We also organize an annual charity picnic that brings together neighbors, small business owners, and local non-profit organizations for an afternoon focused on strengthening community ties. Both efforts reflect a belief, shared throughout our firm, that meaningful community support should be ongoing and consistent rather than occasional or performative.

How Burress Injury Law Handles Billing in Wrongful Death Claims

Families pursuing a wrongful death claim are often facing funeral costs, lost income, and the sudden financial uncertainty that follows losing a loved one unexpectedly. Asking a family to pay legal fees before their claim is even resolved would only compound that hardship at an already overwhelming time.

Burress Injury Law represents families in wrongful death claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning payment comes only from a successful case outcome. This structure allows families in Celina to pursue justice for their loss without added financial pressure at the outset.

Where Can You File a Lawsuit for a Wrongful Death Claim in Celina?

Some wrongful death claims settle through negotiation, but others require a lawsuit to be filed, particularly when a defendant or its insurer refuses to accept responsibility. Celina is located within Collin County, and wrongful death lawsuits arising from incidents in the area are generally filed at the Collin County Courthouse, located at: