Losing a loved one to someone else's negligence — in Corpus Christi or anywhere — is a different kind of legal case. The Texas Wrongful Death Statute (Tex. CPRC § 71.004) is technical: who can file (surviving spouse, children, parents only), what damages are available, how the proceeds get distributed. We handle these cases with the care and skill they require.
See our overview of wrongful death cases ?
Corpus Christi context.
Major Roadways
I-37 (the north-south freight route to San Antonio), US-77 north, SH-358 (the South Padre Island Drive corridor), SH-44, and the Crosstown Expressway (SH-286).
Local Courts
Nueces County Civil District Courts at the Nueces County Courthouse (901 Leopard St., Corpus Christi) and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Corpus Christi Division.
Trauma Care
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi – Memorial (Level II trauma), Driscoll Children's Hospital (Level II pediatric trauma), and Bay Area Hospital.
Why It Matters Here
Corpus Christi is the largest city on the Texas Gulf Coast and the operational hub for the Port of Corpus Christi — the third-largest U.S. port by tonnage and the country's largest crude oil export terminal. Heavy commercial truck volume moves through every major artery. Seasonal beach tourism brings additional traffic, particularly along SH-358 to North Padre Island.
Who can bring a Texas wrongful death claim?
Texas wrongful death law (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §71.004) limits standing to:
- The surviving spouse
- The children of the decedent
- The parents of the decedent
If none of those eligible parties files within three months, the executor or administrator of the estate may do so (unless the eligible family members object). Separately, a survival claim belongs to the estate itself — covering the pain and suffering the decedent experienced before death.
What damages can be recovered?
- Loss of financial support the decedent would have provided
- Loss of household services — childcare, home maintenance, day-to-day work
- Loss of companionship, comfort, and society
- Mental anguish of the surviving family
- Loss of inheritance
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Survival claim damages — the decedent's pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering
- In cases of gross negligence (e.g., drunk driving): punitive damages
The evidence that builds the case.
- The official crash or incident report and any criminal investigation files
- 911 audio, dispatch records, and first-responder statements
- Medical records, autopsy reports, and toxicology
- Surveillance video and dashcam footage — preserved quickly
- For truck cases: ECM data, ELD logs, driver qualification file
- For premises cases: prior incident reports, maintenance records, security footage
- Economic and life-care experts for damages calculations
Texas deadlines.
Two years from the date of death to file (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.003). Cases against governmental entities require notice within much shorter windows — sometimes as little as six months. Texas applies modified comparative fault: you can still recover if you were 50% or less at fault. More on comparative fault ?
How we work with families.
Wrongful death cases require something different from other personal injury work. The legal questions matter, but so does the way the family is treated through the process. We keep clients informed, we don't push for premature settlement, and we never charge a family a dime unless we recover. Our founder Shawn Barnett has lived through serious injury himself — the recovery, the long road back — and that perspective informs how we treat families who've lost someone they love.