Pasadena, TX Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you’ve lost a husband, wife, parent, or child because of someone else’s carelessness in Pasadena, the grief is only part of what you’re dealing with. There are funeral expenses piling up, medical bills from before the death, income your family counted on, and a future that no longer looks the way you planned.
At Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers, we represent families across Pasadena, TX in wrongful death claims stemming from traffic collisions, industrial incidents, and workplace failures. Our founding attorneys bring a combined 25 years of trial experience to this work, and our firm has recovered over $300 million for clients throughout Texas. Our Pasadena, TX wrongful death lawyer works on contingency, meaning you owe nothing unless we recover compensation for your family. Call us for a free consultation.
Why Choose Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers for Wrongful Death in Pasadena, TX?
Attorneys Who Have Worked Both Sides
Insurance carriers and corporate defense teams fight hard to pay as little as possible. Our founding attorneys understand that fight from both directions.
Matt Greenberg is a Texas trial attorney with 12 years of experience handling high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death cases. He has served as lead trial counsel in record-setting verdicts and settlements across the state, including the largest recorded personal injury settlement in Tarrant County and the largest recorded personal injury verdict in Montgomery County. He earned his J.D. from Baylor Law School and is licensed in Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona. His peers have recognized him through Super Lawyers, Lawdragon, and the National Trial Lawyers.
Mike Streich spent nearly a decade on the defense side before becoming a plaintiff’s attorney. He represented corporations and major insurers, including Lloyd’s of London syndicate members, in catastrophic injury and death cases tied to oilfield incidents, pipeline failures, refinery explosions, and commercial motor vehicle crashes. He graduated cum laude from the UH Law Center after earning his Government degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He’s been named a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2014, 2017 through 2021, and 2023 through 2025. That defense background gives him an insider’s understanding of how companies evaluate risk, investigate claims, and attempt to minimize what they owe. He now uses that knowledge on behalf of families who need a Pasadena, TX personal injury lawyer or wrongful death attorney.
Proven Wrongful Death Results
Our wrongful death attorneys have secured significant recoveries for Texas families. Among them: a $37.5 million verdict in Dallas County for the family of a truck driver killed by a negligent electric delivery truck operator. A $35 million settlement for a young woman’s family after she was killed by an 18-wheeler in Fort Worth. An $11 million wrongful death recovery, a $7.5 million wrongful death settlement, and a $6 million recovery for a family after a fatal motorcycle crash.
A Contingency Fee Structure
We take wrongful death cases on contingency, with no retainer and no hourly billing. You pay nothing unless and until we win your case.
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“Mike Streich is an outstanding injury attorney, and I am deeply grateful for everything he has done for my family. He represented us in a wrongful death case after my children’s father was tragically killed due to a company’s negligence. It was the most painful and overwhelming time of our lives, and Mike handled our case with compassion, strength, and unwavering dedication.” – Regina Brown
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Wrongful Death Cases We Handle in Pasadena
The city’s industrial footprint and its position along the Houston Ship Channel mean that many fatal incidents in Pasadena involve workplace exposures and commercial traffic. We handle wrongful death cases involving:
Car accidents: Fatal collisions caused by distracted, impaired, or reckless drivers remain a leading source of wrongful death claims in Harris County. We pursue all at-fault parties and their insurers to recover full compensation.
Truck accidents: SH-225 and Beltway 8 carry enormous volumes of commercial truck traffic through Pasadena. When 18-wheelers cause fatal crashes, our attorneys investigate the trucking company, driver history, and vehicle maintenance records.
Motorcycle accidents: Riders killed by a negligent driver leave behind families with the right to substantial compensation under Texas wrongful death law.
Refinery and plant accidents: Pasadena sits next to some of the largest petrochemical operations in the country. Explosions, chemical releases, and equipment failures at these facilities kill workers every year.
Oilfield accidents: Blowouts, falls, and mechanical failures in the oil and gas sector result in worker deaths across Texas. We hold operators, contractors, and equipment manufacturers responsible.
Construction accidents: Falls, electrocutions, struck-by incidents, and trench collapses are among the most common causes of fatal construction injuries in the area.
Premises liability: Dangerous property conditions that cause a death can result in a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner or property manager.
Brain injuries: Severe traumatic brain injuries sustained in crashes or workplace accidents frequently prove fatal days or weeks after the initial incident. These delayed-death cases still qualify as wrongful death claims under Texas law.
Bus accidents: Fatal bus crashes involving public transit, school buses, or charter vehicles create complex wrongful death claims that often involve government entities and multiple insurance carriers.
Texas Legal Requirements for Wrongful Death
Texas wrongful death claims are governed by Chapter 71 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Also known as the Texas Wrongful Death Act, this statute allows certain surviving family members to file a civil lawsuit when someone dies because of another party’s wrongful act, neglect, or default.
Only the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the deceased have standing to bring the action. Siblings, grandparents, and other relatives are excluded. If no eligible family member files within three calendar months of the death, the estate’s executor or administrator can bring the claim.
Texas imposes a two-year statute of limitations on wrongful death lawsuits, set out in Section 16.003 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. The clock starts on the date of death, not the date of the underlying accident. Missing this deadline almost always means losing the right to file. Limited exceptions exist for minor children and cases involving concealed wrongdoing, but counting on them is a risk.
The state also applies a modified comparative fault rule under Chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. If the deceased is found more than 50% responsible for the incident, the family recovers nothing. When the deceased’s fault is 50% or less, the recovery is reduced proportionally. These rules make early investigation and evidence preservation essential, and recent legal changes in Texas continue to shape how they’re applied.
What Damages Are Recoverable in Pasadena Wrongful Death Cases?
A successful wrongful death claim in Texas compensates the surviving family for what they lost. The goal is not simply to punish the person responsible, though punitive damages are available in certain circumstances. Recoverable damages fall into three categories.
Economic Damages
These cover the concrete financial losses. Lost earning capacity accounts for what the deceased would have earned over the rest of their working life, including salary, benefits, and retirement contributions. Medical expenses incurred between the injury and the death are recoverable. So are funeral and burial costs. For Pasadena families who depended on the deceased’s paycheck to cover housing, groceries, utilities, and the ordinary costs of daily life, economic damages often make up the largest share of a wrongful death recovery. Proving these numbers requires documentation, including tax returns, pay stubs, employment records, and testimony from an economist.
Non-Economic Damages
Texas law also permits recovery for losses that are real but don’t come with a receipt. These include mental anguish, loss of companionship and society, loss of parental guidance for minor children, and loss of the care, comfort, and household services the deceased provided. A Pasadena wrongful death attorney can help document how your family’s day-to-day life has changed since the death.
Punitive Damages
When the death was caused by willful conduct or gross negligence, the family can also seek exemplary damages under Section 71.009 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. These damages exist to deter outrageous behavior: a company that knowingly ignores workplace safety rules, a drunk driver who causes a fatal crash, or an employer who conceals hazardous conditions. Article XVI, Section 26 of the Texas Constitution limits which beneficiaries can recover exemplary damages in wrongful death cases, so not every family member qualifies.
What Steps Should I Take After a Wrongful Death?
There are legal and practical post-accident steps that can protect your family’s ability to file a wrongful death claim in Pasadena, TX:
- Notify law enforcement. Whether the death resulted from a traffic collision, a workplace incident, or another event, ensure there is an official report. Police reports and incident records become critical evidence later.
- Preserve all evidence. Do not discard belongings, medical records, or personal effects connected to the deceased or the incident. Save photographs of the accident scene, vehicles, equipment, or hazardous conditions.
- Obtain the death certificate. The medical examiner or attending physician issues this document. You’ll need it for the wrongful death claim and for managing the estate.
- Request the autopsy report. In cases involving industrial accidents, ambiguous causes of death, or suspected foul play, the autopsy can contain information vital to proving who was at fault.
- Notify the employer. If the death was work-related, the employer has OSHA reporting rules. A workplace fatality must be reported within eight hours.
- Do not speak with insurance adjusters. The at-fault party’s insurer will contact you quickly. Anything you say can be used to reduce or deny the claim. Direct all communication to your wrongful death lawyer.
- Track every expense. Keep records of funeral costs, medical bills, travel expenses, and any other costs your family incurs because of the death.
- Identify witnesses. If anyone saw the accident or incident, get their names and contact information immediately. Witnesses become harder to locate as weeks and months pass.
- Contact a wrongful death attorney. The two-year filing deadline starts on the date of death. An attorney can launch an independent investigation, send preservation letters to defendants, and file suit before critical deadlines expire.
- Take care of your family. Grief counseling and therapy records can serve as documentation of the emotional toll this loss has caused, which is relevant to non-economic damages in the wrongful death claim.
Wrongful Death Statistics in Pasadena
Pasadena sits in Harris County, which consistently leads Texas in traffic fatalities. According to TxDOT crash records, Harris County recorded 546 fatal crashes and 579 deaths in 2024. That works out to roughly one traffic death every 15 hours in a single county. Statewide, Texas recorded 4,150 traffic fatalities in 2024, a 3.29% decrease from the 4,291 deaths reported in 2023, per TxDOT annual data.
At the national level, NHTSA estimates that 39,345 people died in traffic crashes in 2024, a 3.8% drop from 2023. Alcohol-impaired driving alone accounted for 12,429 deaths in 2023, according to NHTSA’s final data, which translates to one alcohol-related traffic death roughly every 42 minutes.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 564 fatal occupational injuries in Texas in 2023, a rate of 4.1 per 100,000 full-time workers. That is higher than the national rate of 3.5. The trade, transportation, and utilities sector led all industries with 183 fatalities, followed by construction at 126. Streets and highways were the most common location for fatal workplace injuries, accounting for 45% of all incidents statewide.
The concentration of refineries, chemical plants, and port operations along the Houston Ship Channel makes Pasadena and its surrounding communities especially vulnerable to industrial fatalities. The CDC has documented that the most frequent fatal events in oil and gas extraction nationally include vehicle incidents, contact injuries, and explosions. Texas workplace fatality data from the Division of Workers’ Compensation confirms that construction and transportation remain the deadliest sectors year after year. For families here dealing with a fatal industrial incident, the wrongful death claim often involves multiple defendants, from site operators to equipment suppliers to subcontractors.
Pasadena Wrongful Death Lawyer FAQs
Who can file a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas?
Under the Texas Wrongful Death Act, only the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the deceased have standing to file. If none of them acts within three months of the death, the estate’s personal representative can bring the lawsuit on the family’s behalf.
How long do I have to file a wrongful death claim in Pasadena?
Two years from the date of death. There are narrow exceptions for minor children and situations involving concealed wrongdoing, but relying on those is risky. Contact a Pasadena wrongful death attorney as soon as possible.
What does a wrongful death attorney cost?
We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs and no fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Can I file a wrongful death claim even if the person responsible faces criminal charges?
Yes. Criminal and civil cases are separate proceedings. A wrongful death lawsuit requires only a preponderance of the evidence. Criminal prosecution requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. One can proceed without the other, and both can happen at the same time.
What is the difference between a wrongful death claim and a survival action?
A wrongful death claim compensates the surviving family for their losses: lost income, companionship, and mental anguish. A survival action, governed by Section 71.021 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, belongs to the deceased’s estate and covers the pain, suffering, and medical expenses the deceased experienced between the injury and death. The two are commonly filed together.
How much is a wrongful death case worth in Texas?
It depends on the facts. The deceased’s age, earning capacity, number of dependents, and the severity of the defendant’s conduct all factor in. Our firm has recovered wrongful death verdicts and settlements ranging from just over $1 million to $37.5 million.
Can I still file if my loved one was partially at fault?
Yes, as long as the deceased was 50% or less at fault. Under Texas proportionate responsibility rules, the family can still recover, but the total award is reduced by the deceased’s percentage of responsibility.
Do wrongful death cases go to trial?
Many settle before trial. But we prepare every wrongful death case as though it will go before a jury, because that preparation often produces better settlement offers. When a trial is necessary, we have the courtroom experience to try the case.
How long does a wrongful death case take?
Some resolve within months. Others, especially those involving corporate defendants or contested liability, can take a year or longer. Industrial wrongful death cases in the Pasadena area frequently involve extended discovery because multiple parties and regulatory agencies are involved.
What if my family member died in a workplace accident?
Texas does not require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. If the employer is a non-subscriber, a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed directly against them. Even in workers’ comp situations, third-party claims against equipment manufacturers, property owners, or subcontractors are available in many wrongful death cases.
Can I sue a government entity for wrongful death?
Yes, but additional rules apply. Claims against government bodies must comply with the Texas Tort Claims Act, which imposes shorter notice deadlines and caps on certain damages. Speed matters even more in these cases.
What evidence is needed to prove wrongful death?
You need to establish that the defendant owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and that the breach caused the death. Medical records, accident reconstruction, police or incident reports, witness testimony, and financial documentation all play a role.
What if the at-fault driver was uninsured?
The family can still recover through the deceased’s own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. We also investigate whether other parties share liability. In hit-and-run situations, additional legal strategies apply.
Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer?
No. Initial offers in wrongful death cases are designed to close the file cheaply before the family understands the full value of the claim. Insurers make early offers, hoping people will accept out of financial desperation. Talk to a wrongful death attorney first.
What questions should I ask during a wrongful death consultation?
Ask about the attorney’s experience with wrongful death consultations, how they communicate with clients, their fee arrangement, and their honest assessment of your claim’s strengths and weaknesses.
Most Dangerous Locations for Wrongful Death in Pasadena
Pasadena’s geography and industrial density create specific zones where fatal accidents cluster:
State Highway 225. This corridor runs through Pasadena’s refinery district and carries extremely heavy commercial truck traffic, including tanker vehicles transporting hazardous materials. Fatal 18-wheeler crashes and multi-vehicle collisions happen here regularly.
Beltway 8 and its frontage roads. The interchange with SH-225 and the feeder roads near Crenshaw Road and Preston Road are consistent sites of high-speed fatal crashes involving merging traffic and heavy trucks.
Spencer Highway. This central Pasadena road has seen pedestrian fatalities and serious intersection collisions. Shift changes at nearby industrial facilities drive traffic surges that increase the risk.
The Ship Channel industrial zone. The concentration of petrochemical plants along the Houston Ship Channel has produced fatal explosion accidents, burn injuries, and chemical exposure deaths affecting both workers and surrounding residents.
Red Bluff Road and Shaver Street. Intersections along these corridors have been the site of fatal collisions involving both passenger vehicles and commercial trucks.
What Are Important Local Resources for Pasadena Wrongful Death?
When a wrongful death occurs in Pasadena, TX, families will need to interact with multiple agencies and institutions. The following local resources are relevant to families in this situation. We are providing them strictly for informational convenience.
Pasadena Police Department – (713) 477-1221
Harris County Medical Examiner – (713) 796-9292
Harris County District Clerk – (713) 755-5734
HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast – (713) 359-2000
Bayshore Medical Center – (281) 359-2000
OSHA Houston Area Office – (281) 286-0583 (for reporting workplace fatalities)
Precinct 2 Constable – for incident reports in unincorporated areas
Harris County District Attorney – (713) 274-5800 (for cases involving criminal charges alongside the wrongful death claim)
Listing these resources does not constitute an endorsement of or affiliation with any organization. They are provided for informational purposes only.
Contact Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers
If your family has lost someone because of another party’s negligence in Pasadena, TX, we are here to help. Our wrongful death attorneys handle these claims on contingency. No upfront fees, no cost unless we win. During a free consultation, we’ll review the facts, explain your options, and give you a direct assessment of the case. We respond to every inquiry promptly because families dealing with wrongful death cannot afford delay. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation.
