Travis County, TX · Free Consultation
Northwest Hills, TX Wrongful Death Lawyer
What Our Clients Say
The value of a life lost is never only about a paycheck. When a Northwest Hills family loses a stay-at-home parent, a retiree, or a child, SMB Law, PC makes sure the full, human value of that loss is recognized — not dismissed. A Northwest Hills wrongful death lawyer knows the value of a life reaches far beyond a paycheck, and how to prove that human loss. Shane M. Boasberg has guided Central Texas families for more than twenty years and personally makes sure it is recognized.
Along the Loop 360 and Mopac corridors near Northwest Hills, a fatal crash can take a homemaker, a grandparent, or a child — people whose contributions to a family are immense but whom an insurer may wrongly treat as having little economic value.
Where a Northwest Hills wrongful death claim is handled
Northwest Hills is in Travis County, so a wrongful death suit is filed with the Travis County District Clerk at the Civil and Family Courthouse on Guadalupe Street in Austin. Many claims resolve with the insurer first.
Valuing the loss of a homemaker, retiree, or child
Insurers sometimes argue that a person who was not earning a salary — a stay-at-home parent, a retiree, or a child — represents little economic loss. Texas law says otherwise. A wrongful death recovery includes the value of household services, care, maintenance, guidance, and nurture the person provided, along with the loss of love, companionship, and society, and a surviving spouse’s and children’s mental anguish. The daily work of a homemaker — childcare, running a household, caregiving — has real, quantifiable economic value, and the loss of a parent’s guidance to a child is a recognized harm. The death of a child, though it involves little lost income, brings profound compensable loss of the relationship. Capturing this fully often takes more than assertion: economic analysis of replacement services and testimony about the person’s role in the family. We build that picture for Northwest Hills families so a life is valued for everything it meant, not just a W-2.
Showing what a life truly contributed
When the person lost was not a wage earner, the work of a wrongful death case shifts to making their true contribution visible. For a homemaker near Northwest Hills, that can mean documenting the market cost of the childcare, household management, and caregiving they provided every day. For a retiree, it can mean the guidance, support, and companionship a spouse and family relied on. For a child, it is the irreplaceable relationship itself. We often draw on economic analysis to put a defensible value on replacement services and on the testimony of those who knew the person best to convey the loss of their care and presence. That evidence keeps an insurer from reducing a cherished family member to a number on a pay stub, and it ensures the recovery reflects the real weight of the loss.
Compassionate, experienced counsel when it matters most
A wrongful death case is never really about money — it is about accountability and about protecting a family’s future. You work directly with attorney Shane M. Boasberg, who has represented Texans for more than two decades and has been licensed by the State of Texas since 2003. He handles these cases with the care they deserve, keeps families informed at every step, and takes on the insurance company so you can focus on grieving and healing. You get a lawyer who treats your loss with respect — not a case manager reading from a script.
Working with us from Northwest Hills
Our office is in downtown Austin, an easy reach from Northwest Hills. We handle most consultations and case updates by phone and video, and there is no fee unless we recover for you. If travel is difficult, we can also come to you.
Why families choose SMB Law, PC
- Direct attorney access — you talk to Shane, licensed since 2003, not a call center.
- No fee unless we recover — wrongful death cases are handled on a contingency basis.
- Honest, patient guidance and transparent terms explained before you commit.
What working with us looks like
- Free, private consultation to understand your family’s situation and the law that applies.
- Investigation — we preserve evidence, obtain the reports, and identify every responsible party and insurer.
- Negotiation or court — we settle when the offer is fair and litigate when it is not.
- Resolution handled with care so your family can move forward.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a claim if the person who died did not have an income?
Yes. Texas recognizes the loss of household services, care, guidance, companionship, and the family’s mental anguish, none of which depends on a salary.
How is the loss of a stay-at-home parent valued?
By quantifying the household services and childcare they provided and the guidance and nurture lost, often with economic analysis and family testimony.
Can a family recover for the death of a child?
Yes. Although a child’s death involves little lost income, the loss of the relationship and the parents’ anguish are compensable.
Do I have to travel to your office from Northwest Hills?
No. Our downtown Austin office is about 9 miles south via Loop 360 and Mopac, and we handle Northwest Hills wrongful death matters by phone and video.