Losing a loved one to someone else's negligence — in Eagle Pass 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 ?
Eagle Pass context.
Major Roadways
US-57 northeast to San Antonio, US-277 north to Del Rio, US-83 south to Laredo, and Loop 480 around the city.
Local Courts
Maverick County Courthouse (500 Quarry St., Eagle Pass) and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division.
Trauma Care
Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center and emergency airlift to San Antonio's Level I trauma centers when needed.
Why It Matters Here
Eagle Pass sits directly on the Rio Grande across from Piedras Negras, Coahuila — one of the most active commercial border crossings in Texas. The Eagle Pass–Piedras Negras International Bridge handles enormous truck volume serving the Mexican manufacturing corridor and U.S. distribution. US-57 carries that freight northeast to San Antonio. The city's Maverick County population is over 95% Hispanic — bilingual representation is essential.
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.