After a fatal crash, ordinary tasks can become overwhelming. A family may face calls from insurers while arranging a funeral, helping children, and trying to understand what happened. Hiring a lawyer should bring responsible help with those legal questions.
The first question is personal and practical: Who will take responsibility for our family’s case, and will we be able to talk to that lawyer?
Brian Beckcom and Vuk Vujasinovic handle wrongful-death cases involving fatal car and truck crashes, disputed company responsibility, and difficult evidence. Both are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Their work gives families concrete examples to examine when choosing counsel.
Meet the lawyer who will do the work
Before hiring a firm, ask to speak with the lawyer expected to lead the case. Find out who will investigate, take depositions, prepare experts, advise the family, and appear in court.
Support staff play an important role. A family also needs a clear path to the responsible lawyer when a legal decision matters. Ask how the firm schedules those conversations, who handles urgent questions, and how it keeps family members informed without forcing them to chase updates.
Look for a lawyer who listens to who your loved one was. Employment records and financial documents tell part of the story. Family relationships, household responsibilities, and the daily contributions of the person who died require attention too.
Why a complex fatal case may fit a focused trial firm
A large office and a large advertising presence do not tell you how much time a particular lawyer can devote to your family. A focused trial practice may offer direct involvement from an experienced lawyer while retaining the investigators and experts the case requires.
A fatal collision can involve reconstruction, medical issues, disputed employment relationships, several insurance policies, and separate claims for family members and an estate. Those issues need a coordinated plan. Ask the lawyer to explain that plan and the resources available to carry it out.
If a firm handles thousands of claims, ask how it separates complex litigation from routine claims and who supervises each important decision. If a firm has a small staff, ask about litigation funding, expert support, deadline coverage, and capacity. The right choice combines attention with the ability to complete demanding work.
Understand who will represent you if the case is referred
Other lawyers refer serious and complex cases to Brian and Vuk. A referral can bring a family to counsel with relevant trial experience. The family should know which lawyer will lead, what each firm will do, and how to reach the person responsible.
Before agreeing to representation, ask whether the firm you contacted intends to handle the lawsuit itself, work with another firm, or refer the matter. Request a clear explanation of the fee arrangement, expenses, and communication. Meet the lawyer who will advise you about settlement and trial.
Look closely at how the lawyer responds when the defense blames your loved one
The person who died cannot explain the collision in a deposition. Video, witnesses, vehicle damage, electronic information, dispatch records, and the physical scene may therefore carry particular importance.
A lawyer should test the defense’s account against that evidence. Ask what information needs preservation, who will inspect the vehicles, and how the investigation will address gaps in the police report or conflicting witness accounts.
Texas Chapter 33 governs proportionate responsibility in covered actions. Responsibility findings can affect recovery, including a greater-than-50-percent bar where the statute applies. Your lawyer should explain how those rules apply to the claims your family can bring.
Proving a company broke a rule also requires proving the legally necessary connection to the death. The Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Werner Enterprises v. Blake underscores the importance of substantial-factor causation. Careful testimony and reliable evidence matter when responsibility is contested.
Actual cases show what that attention can involve
A realtor’s family and a distracted truck driver
In a fatal truck collision involving a Houston realtor, the defense blamed the person who died. Vuk investigated the driver’s inattention, company speeding information, hiring practices, and record preservation. He continued preparing the case after an initial mediation failed to resolve it. The trucking company settled for $2.5 million shortly before trial.
For a family interviewing lawyers, that story suggests a direct question: What will you do if the company denies responsibility and the first settlement discussion fails?
The Tornado Trucking investigation
In the Tornado Trucking case, protruding oilfield equipment struck a stopped family vehicle, causing a death and injuries. Brian and Vuk examined company warnings and records and found substantial additional insurance beyond the amount initially represented to referring counsel. The case settled for $9,638,589.96.
The work reached beyond the collision itself. It required examining company conduct and investigating the coverage available to answer for the loss. Ask a prospective lawyer how they would approach both tasks.
The lawyer should explain the family’s and estate’s claims
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71 distinguishes wrongful-death claims from survival claims. The surviving spouse, children, and parents generally have the statutory wrongful-death claim. A survival claim preserves a claim the deceased person could have brought and involves the estate or other legally authorized parties.
Ask counsel who may bring each claim, whether an estate representative is needed, and how potential conflicts among claimants will be addressed. The lawyer should explain those issues in plain language rather than leave the family to sort them out.
The investigation also needs to document the losses the law permits. Depending on the claim and evidence, that can include financial support, household services, companionship, and other legally recoverable harm. Each family’s circumstances deserve individual attention.
Trial preparation and personal service belong together
A family should understand the evidence, the offers, and the risks before making a decision. Ask how counsel prepares the case if settlement discussions do not produce a reasonable resolution. Ask who takes the important depositions, who works with experts, and who would try the case.
Personal service also means a candid explanation when the evidence creates a difficulty. A lawyer should help you understand that problem and the available choices. You should receive the information and advice you need to decide how to proceed.
Seven questions to ask before signing
- Which lawyer will take responsibility for our family’s case?
- Can we speak directly with that lawyer before hiring the firm?
- What experience does that lawyer have with disputed fatal car or truck cases?
- How will you preserve evidence and investigate insurance?
- How many demanding cases does the responsible lawyer currently manage?
- Will another firm participate, and what will each lawyer do?
- How do the fees, expenses, updates, and settlement decisions work?
Choose the lawyer whose experience, availability, and plan fit the work your family needs.
Tell Us What Happened
If your family lost someone in a car or truck collision, contact Brian or Vuk or call 877-724-7800. You can begin with what you know. Read more about their wrongful-death practice and approach to representing clients.
Prior results depend on the facts of each case and do not guarantee a similar outcome.