When negligence by a property, a security company, or a driver costs a child their life, Texas law may hold multiple parties accountable.
Get a Free Case Review →No family should have to bury a one-year-old child. When a toddler wanders into a parking lot at an apartment complex and is struck and killed, the tragedy raises immediate and serious questions: Was the property safe? Were proper precautions in place? Did the driver act responsibly? The pain of this kind of loss is unlike anything else, and the last thing a grieving family should face alone is a legal system full of complexity and delay.
In cases like this one in southwest Houston, liability may not rest with a single person or entity. The apartment complex, the security company, and the driver may each have played a role in what happened. Understanding who bears responsibility, and holding those parties accountable through the civil justice system, is a process that requires experienced legal guidance. HurtMatch exists to connect families like yours with attorneys who handle exactly these cases.
Under the Texas Wrongful Death Act, a claim may be filed by the surviving spouse, children, or parents of the deceased. If none of those parties file within three months, the executor of the estate may bring the claim. An attorney can advise you on who has standing in your specific situation.
Texas premises liability law may hold property owners and managers responsible when a dangerous condition on their property contributes to an injury or death, particularly if they knew or should have known about the risk and failed to address it. Whether that applies in a specific case depends on the facts and evidence.
Potentially, yes. If a security company had duties related to the safety of the property and those duties were not fulfilled, they may be named as a defendant. Texas law also recognizes negligent hiring and negligent supervision claims against employers, including security firms.
Negligent entrustment in Texas generally refers to allowing an unfit person to operate a vehicle or equipment when the entrusting party knew or should have known of that risk. Whether it applies in a specific incident involving a security guard and a company vehicle depends on the facts discovered during investigation.
In most wrongful death cases in Texas, families have two years from the date of death to file a civil lawsuit. Missing this deadline can permanently bar recovery. Connecting with an attorney as early as possible helps ensure critical evidence is preserved and deadlines are not missed.