Handling medical malpractice fatality cases

When we rely on medical professionals and entities, such as physicians, surgeons, nurses, hospitals and clinics, to care for our loved ones, we never expect that a negligent misstep could mean the difference between life and death. Every year, thousands of untimely deaths occur as a result of medical malpractice, often leaving the victims’ families with significant medical costs and extreme, sudden grief. We represent clients who have lost loved ones due to medical negligence or malpractice. With our help, you can obtain rightful coverage for medical, burial and funeral costs, loss of family income and emotional anguish, including the loss of companionship, diminished quality of life and other pain and suffering resulting from your loved one’s death.

When medical malpractice has fatal consequences

For nearly 30 years, our skilled lawyers have advocated for victims and their families. We understand how medical negligence occurs, how to identify it and how to prove it in court. If the doctor, surgeon, nurse, pharmacist or anesthesiologist you trusted to treat your loved one failed to meet the standard of care, or if you believe mismanagement of a hospital, nursing center or other facility caused the death of your family member, a medical malpractice attorney from our firm can help you initiate wrongful death litigation. We’ve helped clients t with fatal medical malpractice cases due to the following types of negligence:

Misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or failure to diagnose

Surgical errors

Medication errors, including prescribing the wrong drug or the wrong amount of a drug and prescribing a drug that caused a fatal interaction

Anesthesia mistakes, including administering too much or too little anesthesia and failing to monitor a patient under anesthesia

Use of defective medical devices, particularly if the device has been recalled or is known to be defective

Emergency room mistakes

Mistakes during childbirth leading to the death of the infant or mother

In Texas you may have legal standing to file a lawsuit if you are the deceased’s surviving spouse, child, or parent. Consult our law firm if are unsure of your status.

Strong representation for burglary, robbery, shoplifting and more

Being arrested on theft charges can put your entire future on the line. For the representation you need during this difficult time, turn to our law firm. Since 1990 we have served clients facing many types of criminal charges, providing excellent service and personal attention. Our criminal defense lawyers have years of experience and have dealt with all facets of the justice system, and we leverage our knowledge to offer you the best legal options available.

What is a theft crime?

Theft is generally any crime in which one individual illegally takes the property of another person with the intention of depriving that person of the items in question. This is a very broad definition, and therefore there are many different acts prosecutors and the criminal justice system may consider theft. The following are some of the most common types of theft:

Shoplifting. Law defines shoplifting as taking merchandise without paying for it, thereby depriving the business of that property.

Burglary. This offense involves an individual illegally entering a building with the intent to commit a criminal act. To convict, prosecutors often simply need to prove breaking and entering, even if no actual theft of property occurred.

Robbery. If you’re accused of using force or the threat of force to deprive someone of property, you may face robbery charges. Offenses involving the actual or implied use of weapons may be classified as armed robbery.

White collar crimes. Many white collar crimes, including fraud, embezzlement and money laundering, may involve forms of theft.

Services theft. State law recognizes the theft of services, such as lodging, consulting services and entertainment. In these cases, the accused must have attained these services with the intention to avoid paying for them.

Your options after shoplifting charges

You can be charged with either a misdemeanor or felony offense depending on the value of the stolen property, and the penalty may include both jail time and fines.

If the value of the property is less than $50, you can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $500.

If the value of the property is $50-$500, you can be charged with a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $2,000.

If the value of the property is $500-$1,500, you can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and fines up to $4,000.

If the value of the property is $1,500-$20,000, you can be charged with a state jail felony punishable by 180 days to 2 years in a state penitentiary and fines up to $10,000.

If the value of the property is $20,000-$100,000, you can be charged with a third degree felony punishable by 2-10 years in jail and fines up to $10,000.

If the value of the property is $100,000-$200,000, you can be charged with a second degree felony punishable by 2-20 years in jail and fines up to $10,000.

If the value of the property is more than $200,000, you can be charged with a first degree felony punishable by 5-99 years in jail and fines up to $10,000.

f this was the first time you’ve been arrested for shoplifting, you may be able to take advantage of alternatives to incarceration, including pretrial diversion programs. In many situations, a skilled criminal defense attorney can seek these alternatives on your behalf, helping to avoid jail time or huge fines.

Compassionate advocates help families obtain rightful compensation.

For nearly 30 years, we have represented families who’ve lost loved ones in fatal car accidents. Any automobile accident can pose a threat to the lives of the drivers and passengers involved. While some crashes are unavoidable, others result from driver negligence and could have been avoided with responsible driving. When a fatal car crash takes your family member’s life, and the accident was preventable or resulted from negligence or recklessness, it makes the loss even more tragic. In these cases, our law firm can help you and your family file a wrongful death lawsuit to obtain compensation for the financial losses and emotional damages you suffer due to the fatality.

When driver negligence leads to a fatality

Car accidents and other motor vehicle collisions kill tens of thousands of Americans every year. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, in 2018, an estimated 40,000 people lost their lives to car crashes – a 1% decline from 2017 (40,231 deaths) and 2016 (40,327 deaths). About 4.5 million people were seriously injured in crashes last year – also a 1% decrease over 2017. In the same year, in Texas alone, 3,567 individuals were killed in fatal crashes.

There are countless examples of driver negligence that could lead to the death of your loved one in a fatal car accident. The most common include the following:

Distracted driving

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Texting while driving

Using other electronics, such as tablets, cellphones or GPS devices

Fatigued driving

Excessive speeding

Disregard for traffic lights and signs

Other reckless behavior

Why pursue compensation?

Of course, no amount of money can truly replace what you lose in a fatal auto accident. So why seek compensation at all? With help from a trusted attorney, you can hold negligent parties accountable for their actions and obtain compensation for the very real financial effects of losing a loved one in a deadly crash. Your settlement or award in a wrongful death case takes into account the following:

Funeral and burial costs

Medical bills

Loss of future family income

Loss of companionship, care, services, protection and assistance

Repair or replacement of damaged property

Punitive damages in cases of gross negligence or criminal recklessness