Firm Dossier · Houston · October 29, 2026
Five Houston firms that take wrongful death cases, checked against the State Bar of Texas and Google before you make a call.
In Texas a family has two years from the date of death to file suit, and the spouse, children and parents get the first three months to bring it. These checks help you spend that time on the right first call.
0 of 5
firms here publish their contingency percentage
2 years
from the date of death to file a wrongful death suit
$0
what a first consultation costs at all five firms
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The scorecard: 5 checks, 5 firms
✓ meets the check ◐ partly or self-reported ✗ does not, or not published
Hollingsworth Law FirmFamilies who want the lawyer who signs them up to be the one who tries the case
Houston office
✓Dacoma St, 77092Bar record checked
✓Licensed 2003Wrongful death focus
◐Injury firm, death pageFee terms published
◐Contingency, % not statedGoogle rating checked
✓5.0 / 447 The Law Offices of Hilda SibrianSpanish-speaking families who want the whole case handled in Spanish, from intake to settlement
Houston office
✓North Loop, 77009Bar record checked
✓Licensed 2004Wrongful death focus
◐Injury firm, death pageFee terms published
◐Contingency, % not statedGoogle rating checked
✓5.0 / 3,401 Sneed & Mitchell LLPFamilies facing an industrial, maritime or premises death against a large corporate defendant
Houston office
✓Robinhood St, 77005Bar record checked
✓Licensed 2015, 2017Wrongful death focus
✓Catastrophic and deathFee terms published
◐Contingency, % not statedGoogle rating checked
✓4.9 / 444 EMT Nurse Attorney Reshard AlexanderFamilies after a fatal 18-wheeler or commercial vehicle crash who want a solo lawyer with medical training
Houston office
✓Hillmont St, 77040Bar record checked
✓Licensed 2011Wrongful death focus
◐Truck crash focusFee terms published
◐Contingency, % not statedGoogle rating checked
✓5.0 / 61 FVF Law FirmFamilies drawn to posted multimillion death results and an office on the west side near the Energy Corridor
Houston office
✓Katy Fwy, 77079Bar record checked
✓Stanley, 2010Wrongful death focus
◐Injury and death in nameFee terms published
◐Contingency, % not statedGoogle rating checked
✗No Houston reviews yet 02
Before you sign: what the numbers mean for a Houston family
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0 of 5: firms here publish their contingency percentage
All five say there is no fee unless the case is won, and none prints the percentage it takes or whether it rises if a suit is filed or tried. Texas law requires a contingent fee contract to be in writing and signed by both the lawyer and the client, so ask to read it before the first meeting ends.
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2 years: from the date of death to file a wrongful death suit
The clock starts on the day of death, not the day of the accident. For the first three calendar months only the spouse, children and parents can bring the claim; after that the executor or administrator must bring it unless all of them ask that no suit be filed. A family member more than 50 percent at fault recovers nothing.
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$0: what a first consultation costs at all five firms
Each firm offers a free consultation, so meeting two or three before signing costs nothing but time. If you want a name from outside this list, the Houston Lawyer Referral Service screens its member lawyers and books a 30 minute office consultation for $20 across Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston counties.
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The 5 firm dossiers
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Hollingsworth Law Firm
Families who want the lawyer who signs them up to be the one who tries the case
Why it made the list
Hollingsworth Law Firm is a small Houston practice, two to five lawyers on its State Bar listing, led by Steve Hollingsworth, licensed in Texas since 2003. Its Houston wrongful death attorney page is one of the few here that sets out the three-month rule in plain words: if the spouse, children or parents have not filed within three months, the estate’s representative may file unless all of them ask it not to. He states he has been lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials, after work as a felony prosecutor and as defense counsel for insurers. Staff work in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin.
Proof file
- Lead attorneySteve (Steven Ryan) Hollingsworth; law degree, St. Mary’s University, 2003
- Bar recordCard 24041115; licensed November 6, 2003; eligible to practice; no public disciplinary history
- Trial backgroundStates lead counsel in over 50 jury trials in more than a dozen Texas counties; former felony prosecutor and insurer defense counsel
- Office4411 Dacoma St, Houston, TX 77092; listed as open 24 hours
- Phone713-637-4560
- Fee termsNo fee unless you win; free consultation; percentage not published
- LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin
- Published resultsConstruction fall death settled, amount confidential; largest listed figures are two $1.3 million injury settlements
- Google rating5.0 from 447 reviews
Your first-call script
QIf my case goes to a jury, will you try it yourself, or does another lawyer at the firm take it?
QYour case list shows a construction fall death that settled for a confidential sum. Without names, what was that claim built on?
QWhich of your Spanish, Portuguese or Mandarin speaking staff would be my family’s day-to-day contact?
From the reviews we read
+ Kept informed by staff+ Guided first-time clients+ Organized and patient~ Reviews from crash clients, not death claims
The reviews Google returned to us keep naming one staff member, Claudia, who kept clients informed and moved the case along. Several reviewers say it was their first injury claim and that the firm walked them through each step. The reviews we read came from crash clients, not families in a death claim, and none was negative.
Fit and watch-outA fit for a family that wants a trial lawyer with prosecutor and insurance defense experience at a firm small enough for him to stay on the file. The trade-off: its one listed death case settled for a confidential amount, so its largest published figures come from injury cases, and the contingency percentage is not published.
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The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian
Spanish-speaking families who want the whole case handled in Spanish, from intake to settlement
Why it made the list
Hilda Sibrian’s firm runs a Spanish-first website and a Spanish-language wrongful death practice built for families who do not speak English; the site says outright that this is no obstacle. Sibrian was licensed in Texas in 2004 after South Texas College of Law, and the office sits on the North Loop in north Houston. Its death page cites the Civil Practice and Remedies Code sections on the two-year deadline and on who may sue, and says there is no fee and no upfront payment unless the case is won. The firm states it has a team of more than 40 legal professionals.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyHilda L. Sibrian; law degree, South Texas College of Law, December 2003
- Bar recordCard 24043920; licensed May 4, 2004; eligible to practice; no public disciplinary history
- Office846 North Loop, Houston, TX 77009; listed as open 24 hours
- Phone713-714-1414
- Fee termsContingency; no fee and no upfront payment unless won; free confidential consultation; percentage not published
- LanguagesSpanish first; English version of the site available
- Published resultsNo dollar figures; states it has recovered millions for clients
- Google rating5.0 from 3,401 reviews
Your first-call script
QWho would handle a death case day to day, and is that person a lawyer or a case manager?
QHow many wrongful death cases has Ms. Sibrian taken to a jury rather than settled?
QIf you decide not to keep my case, how much notice will you give me before the two-year deadline?
From the reviews we read
+ Case managers answer questions+ Help with medical bills and insurers~ One case dropped without explanation~ Mostly car crash reviews
Most reviews Google returned name a case manager, Vanessa or Brianna, and describe questions answered and help with medical bills and insurers. One reviewer says the office took the case, went quiet for about two months, then dropped it without a reason. At over 3,400 reviews this is the largest base here, mostly from car crash clients.
Fit and watch-outThe strongest choice here for a family that needs every conversation in Spanish. The trade-off: the firm publishes no dollar results, and its review base, while large, speaks to crash cases and case managers more than to death claims or trial work.
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Sneed & Mitchell LLP
Families facing an industrial, maritime or premises death against a large corporate defendant
Why it made the list
Sneed & Mitchell LLP calls itself a catastrophic and wrongful death firm, and its catastrophic and wrongful death practice is aimed at large defendants: chemical plants, refineries, stadium owners and maritime companies, per its homepage. Founding partners Niles Sneed (licensed 2017) and Brit Mitchell (licensed 2015) both studied at South Texas College of Law, and the Houston office is on Robinhood Street in 77005. The firm lists Houston matters it has handled, including a Houston Ship Channel collision and a drowning at a Westside club. Its largest posted result is a $16.5 million wrongful death recovery, its own figure, and it says it does not refer cases out.
Proof file
- Lead attorneysFounding partners Niles J. Sneed and Brittany (Brit) Mitchell; both South Texas College of Law
- Bar recordSneed: card 24105043, licensed September 8, 2017. Mitchell: card 24098907, licensed December 10, 2015. Both eligible, no public disciplinary history
- Office2525 Robinhood St, Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77005; firm also names Austin, Dallas and San Antonio
- Phone713-800-6676; toll-free 866-434-0014 on the website
- Fee termsContingency fee basis; free consultation; percentage not published
- LanguagesSneed’s bar profile lists Arabic, Chinese and Spanish assistance
- Published results$16.5 million wrongful death; states more than $200 million won, while the same page says over $100 million paid to clients
- Google rating4.9 from 444 reviews
Your first-call script
QWhich lawyer would handle my case from filing through trial, and how many other cases does that lawyer carry?
QWas the $16.5 million wrongful death result a verdict or a settlement, and in which county?
QYour homepage gives two different totals for client recoveries. Which figure is current?
From the reviews we read
+ Steady updates from the handling lawyer~ Cases can run close to three years~ One complaint of slow progress
Most reviews Google returned name one lawyer, Darelis Figueroa, and describe steady updates over a case that one client says took almost three years. One reviewer describes the opposite: slow progress, poor communication and consultation promises that were not kept. The site shows a 500-plus review badge; Google showed us 444.
Fit and watch-outBuilt for a death claim against an employer, plant or vessel owner where the defense will field a large team. The trade-off: the founding partners have been licensed since 2015 and 2017, newer than most here, and the headline results are the firm’s own figures.
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EMT Nurse Attorney Reshard Alexander
Families after a fatal 18-wheeler or commercial vehicle crash who want a solo lawyer with medical training
Why it made the list
Reshard Alexander is a solo lawyer who also practices under the name Big Rig Bull, and his Houston truck crash and wrongful death lawyer work centers on 18-wheelers, tankers and other commercial vehicles. He states he is a registered nurse, a nationally registered EMT and a holder of a Class A commercial driver’s license, an unusual mix for a lawyer reading crash, trucking and medical records. He was licensed in Texas in November 2011 after law school at West Virginia University, and his office is on Hillmont Street in northwest Houston. His wrongful death page offers evening and weekend appointments and home or hospital visits.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyReshard J. Alexander, solo; J.D., West Virginia University, 2010; LL.M., University of Houston Law Center
- Bar recordCard 24068428; licensed November 4, 2011; eligible to practice; no public disciplinary history
- Other credentialsStates RN, NREMT and Class A CDL; site also states a California law licence, which we did not check · Lawyer’s own statement
- Office7676 Hillmont St, Suite 106, Houston, TX 77040
- Phone713-766-3322; toll-free 800-688-7551
- Fee termsNo upfront fees; no attorney fee unless he recovers; free initial consultation; percentage not published
- VisitsEvening and weekend appointments; home and hospital visits
- Google rating5.0 from 61 reviews
Your first-call script
QHow many fatal commercial truck cases have you taken to verdict as a solo lawyer?
QIf the trucking company brings a large defense team, who do you add as co-counsel, and how is the fee split?
QHow do you use your nursing background when reading the autopsy and medical records?
From the reviews we read
+ Answers calls directly+ Keeps clients updated~ 61 reviews, mostly crash clients
Reviewers describe a lawyer who answers his own phone and keeps clients updated, and one contrasts him with large firms that hand clients off to a paralegal. The reviews we read come from car and freeway crash clients and one criminal defense client, so none speaks to a death claim. The base of 61 is the smallest rated profile here.
Fit and watch-outA good match when the death involves a commercial truck and the family values one lawyer who reads the medical file himself. The trade-off: a solo practice may need co-counsel for a heavy case, and his site gives different figures for his years in practice.
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FVF Law Firm
Families drawn to posted multimillion death results and an office on the west side near the Energy Corridor
Why it made the list
FVF Law Firm (Fogelman & Von Flatern) is based in Austin and announced its Houston office on the Katy Freeway in October 2026, led by Bret Stanley, a Thurgood Marshall School of Law graduate licensed in 2010. Its Houston personal injury and wrongful death pages post firm-wide results that include a $9.1 million wrongful death explosion case in 2021 and a $10.5 million Legionella wrongful death case in 2022, both its own figures, without saying which office handled them. Founding partner Aaron Von Flatern is a former insurance adjuster, per the firm, and the Houston list covers rideshare cases including Uber, Lyft and Waymo.
Proof file
- Houston lead attorneyBret D. Stanley; J.D., Texas Southern University (Thurgood Marshall School of Law), 2010
- Bar recordCard 24075116; licensed November 5, 2010; eligible to practice; no public disciplinary history
- Office11767 Katy Fwy, Suite 364, Houston, TX 77079; main office in Austin
- Phone713-903-8525 (Houston)
- Fee termsContingency; no fee unless won; free consultation; percentage not published
- LanguagesStanley’s bar profile lists Spanish; the site has a Spanish section
- Published results$9.1 million wrongful death explosion (2021); $10.5 million Legionella wrongful death (2022); office not stated
- Google ratingHouston profile shows no rating or reviews yet
Your first-call script
QWill Bret Stanley handle my case himself, and which of the posted death results did he work on?
QDo lawyers from the Austin office try Houston cases, and who pays their travel costs?
QHow many wrongful death cases has the Houston office signed since it opened?
From the reviews we read
We found no reviews on the Houston Google profile, which fits an office announced in October 2026. We did not use reviews from the firm’s Austin profile, since those describe other lawyers in another city. Ask for references from Houston clients before signing.
Fit and watch-outA fit for a family that wants a larger injury firm’s resources with a lawyer on the west side of Houston. The trade-off: the Houston office is new with no Google reviews yet, and the results it posts are firm-wide rather than Houston cases.
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Seven things to settle before you sign a wrongful death fee agreement
The contract in writing, signed by both. Texas requires a contingent fee contract to be written and signed by the lawyer and the client. Do not start on a verbal promise.
The percentage, and when it changes. Ask for the figure in writing, and whether it rises if a suit is filed, the case goes to trial or there is an appeal.
Case costs if there is no recovery. Experts, depositions and filing fees can run high in a death case. Find out whether the family owes any of them if the case is lost.
Who handles the file. Get the name of the lawyer who will try the case and the name of the person who will return your calls, and how often you will hear from them.
Which family members are clients. The spouse, children and parents can bring one suit for all of them. Settle up front who signs, who is represented and how a recovery is divided.
Both dates on the calendar. Write down the three-month date, when the estate representative can step in, and the two-year date from the day of death.
How the firm found you. A fee contract obtained through barratry, such as an unrequested approach by a runner, can be voided by the client. If someone you did not call made the first contact, ask how.
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Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Houston?
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Two years. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003(b) says the claim accrues on the death of the injured person, so the two years run from the date of death, not the date of the accident.
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Texas?
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The surviving spouse, children and parents of the person who died, and one or more of them can sue for all. If none of them files within three calendar months, the executor or administrator must bring the claim unless all of them ask that no suit be filed.
How much does a wrongful death lawyer cost in Houston?
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All five firms on this page work on contingency and say there is no fee unless the case is won, and all five offer a free consultation. None publishes its percentage, so ask for it in the written, signed contract Texas law requires.
What if my loved one was partly at fault?
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Texas uses proportionate responsibility. A claimant more than 50 percent responsible recovers nothing, and below that line the damages are reduced by the share of fault assigned.
Which of these firms can work with my family in Spanish?
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The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian runs its site and intake in Spanish first. Hollingsworth Law Firm states its staff work in Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin. The State Bar profiles for lawyers at Sneed & Mitchell, FVF Law Firm and Reshard Alexander’s practice list Spanish assistance.
Is there a low-cost way to get a lawyer recommended to me?
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Yes. The Houston Lawyer Referral Service screens its member lawyers and arranges a 30 minute office consultation for $20. You can reach it at 713-237-9429 on weekdays.
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Method and sources
How we checked these firms+
This is a shortlist of five Houston firms that take wrongful death cases, not a ranking. For each one we read the firm’s own website for its lawyers, office, fee terms, languages and published results, then looked up each lead lawyer on the State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer directory for bar card number, licence date, eligibility and public disciplinary history.
We checked each Google Business Profile for address, phone, rating and review count, and read the review text Google returned. Where a firm publishes a result, a credential or a total, we label it as the firm’s own statement. The deadline and standing rules come from the Texas statutes themselves, not from a firm’s blog.
Sources+
- Firm websites: hollingsworthlawfirm.com, hildasibrian.com, sneedmitchell.com, houstontruckaccident.lawyer, fvflawfirm.com
- Google Business Profiles for each firm: address, phone, rating, review count and review text
- State Bar of Texas, Find a Lawyer directory: profiles for Steven Ryan Hollingsworth, Hilda Leonor Sibrian, Niles J. Sneed, Brittany Nikole Mitchell, Reshard JuQuin Alexander and Bret Daniel Stanley
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003 (limitations), 71.004 (beneficiaries and the three-month rule) and 33.001 (proportionate responsibility)
- Texas Government Code 82.065 (contingent fee contracts in writing; barratry)
- Houston Lawyer Referral Service, hlrs.org (consultation fee and coverage)