Questions families ask — answered plainly.

Texas law names three: the surviving spouse, the children, and the parents of the person who died. A separate claim — the survival claim — belongs to the estate. But sixteen years of these cases teach something the statute doesn't say: the first call rarely comes from that list. It comes from a sister, a brother, a grandmother — the one the family leans on. If that's you, call. Sorting out who files what is our job, not yours. Start with our guide for families after a fatal crash.

Days one to three: preservation letters go to every driver, company, and insurer involved so evidence can't lawfully disappear. Week one: the crash report, 911 audio, and camera footage are requested before they're overwritten. Weeks two to four: witnesses are interviewed while memories are fresh, the vehicles are inspected, and the family's insurance coverages are mapped. Throughout, the family receives a written communication schedule and one attorney's direct line — not a case number.

In Texas, wrongful death and personal injury claims generally must be filed within two years, though exceptions exist and claims involving a city, county, or state defendant can require formal notice within months. The filing clock is not the evidence clock: witnesses scatter, camera footage records over itself in days, and business records purge in months. Talking to a lawyer early commits you to nothing; waiting quietly commits your case to whatever evidence happens to survive.

No lawyer can know before the investigation is done, and anyone who quotes a number on the first call is guessing. What determines value is specific: who was at fault and how clearly it can be proven; the damages Texas law recognizes, including medical and funeral expenses, lost income and support, and the loss of a loved one's companionship; the insurance coverage available, including policies families don't know exist; and the quality of the evidence preserved in the first weeks. A case prepared for trial is valued differently by insurers than one prepared for a quick settlement.

Because the evidence is on a timer. Federal rules generally require a trucking company to keep driver logs for only months, camera footage can be gone in days, and the truck itself can be repaired or salvaged whenever the insurer decides. Meanwhile the carrier's rapid-response team is often at the scene within hours. A preservation demand served immediately locks the evidence down. Read why trucking cases demand immediate investigation.

It depends on three things: how long your medical treatment takes, because a case shouldn't be valued until the full extent of the injuries is known; whether the insurer negotiates in good faith once the evidence is preserved and the experts have spoken; and whether the case must be filed and prepared for trial in Dallas County to get a fair result. Some cases resolve in months; serious ones can take a year or more. What never changes is that you'll know where your case stands, on a written communication schedule.

No. Texas law does not require you to give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement — ever. Their duties run to their policyholder, not to you. Before you return that call, read our guide to the adjuster's call, which includes a word-for-word script.

An early offer is arithmetic, not generosity. Adjusters make quick offers before your treatment is complete because a signed release ends your claim permanently, no matter what your doctors find later. The right sequence is the reverse: finish treatment, know the full injury, then value the claim. A free consultation commits you to nothing — and if the offer is fair, we'll say so.

In Texas, yes — as long as you were not more than 50% responsible. Under the proportionate responsibility rule, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated by it. Adjusters know this, which is why exaggerated fault percentages are an opening position, not a ruling. Before you accept anyone's math about your own case, get an independent answer.

You pay nothing up front. The attorney's fee is a percentage of what is recovered for you, set out in a written agreement you sign before anything begins — and if there is no recovery, there is no attorney's fee. The agreement also explains, in writing, how case expenses such as expert witnesses and records are handled, so there are no surprises at the end.

The attorney you meet. Michael A. Crozier, Esq. is a solo trial lawyer with a deliberately limited docket, which means the lawyer whose name is on the door is the lawyer on your case — preparing it for trial from the first day, and keeping you informed on a written communication schedule. Ask any lawyer you're comparing the same question.

No. The firm welcomes and represents clients of every background. Michael A. Crozier, Esq. is a Black-owned firm, and many families specifically search for one when choosing counsel — they deserve a straight answer. Every client, of every background, receives the same standard: honesty, preparation, and a lawyer who treats your family like family, never like a file.

Yes, and often they should. If the crash happened in Texas, or the trucking company is based here, the case belongs in Texas courts under Texas law no matter where the family lives. For families anywhere in the country who want counsel they trust, the firm takes the case by associating with local counsel where the law requires it. Consultations are free, by phone or video, wherever you are.

Ask the AI to help you understand: how Texas contingency fees work, what a wrongful death claim involves, what evidence matters after an 18-wheeler crash. Ask a lawyer to do what no AI can: preserve the truck's data before it's erased, find the insurance policies the adjuster didn't mention, interview the witness whose memory is fading, and stand in a Dallas County courtroom. Use both — and bring your AI's questions to a free consultation.