Under Texas laws, family members who have lost a loved one due to the neglectful, negligent, or intentional actions of another person have two years from the time of their loved one’s death to file a claim. Yet, what happens if a person is so seriously injured in a crash that they enter a vegetative state? What if they are so seriously disabled or hurt that they die years or decades later? Does the family have a right to bring forth a wrongful death claim against negligent parties, two years from the person’s death, even if the accident occurred years earlier?
In most cases, families should bring a claim against negligent parties as soon as possible. If your loved one was seriously injured in a crash or was seriously disabled in a crash, the personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Gregg in Dallas, Texas can fight to help your family get the maximum possible compensation permitted under the law. This could include long-term nursing care, rehabilitative care, lost wages, and other expenses related to your loved one’s injuries.
Yet, in one unique case, the state of North Carolina decided to bring murder charges against individuals who committed acts of violence against their child decades earlier. According to the New York Times, the parents of the child were convicted of abuse and were sentenced to prison. Their son was severely disabled as a result of the abuse. 21 years later, he died. Now, North Carolina police are bringing murder charges against the parents, claiming that their abuse directly led to their son’s death—21 years after the fact. The prosecutors claim that the child would not have died had he not been abused years earlier. Yet, it is important to note that felony charges can be brought against the parents because there is no statute of limitations for these charges in North Carolina.
Because there is a statute of limitations for wrongful death in Dallas, families may wonder what they should do if doctors say that a loved one will die from their injuries. Are they permitted to collect funeral costs? Sometimes injured individuals can live on for months after an accident—in a compromised medical state. If this describes your situation, you may want to speak to the qualified personal injury attorneys in Dallas, Texas at the Law Offices of Robert Gregg.
Under Texas law, an individual’s children, spouse, or parents are entitled to bring about a wrongful death action on behalf of a person who has passed away due to the neglectful actions of another person or party. If you have lost a loved one, or if a loved one was seriously hurt, you may be facing a range of new challenges. However, if it is important to act fast because the statute of limitations can pass quickly in Texas, limiting your ability to make a claim under the law.