How to run Wrongful Death Damages in DocketMath for Texas

Step-by-step

This guide shows how to run Wrongful Death Damages in DocketMath for Texas (US-TX) using jurisdiction-aware rules. The goal is to help you get consistent, reviewable outputs—not to provide legal advice.

1) Open the correct calculator in DocketMath

Use the primary call to action: /tools/wrongful-death-damages

Once the calculator loads, confirm the jurisdiction is set to Texas (US-TX). If DocketMath prompts for jurisdiction selection, choose US-TX before entering any numbers.

2) Understand the Texas liability trigger DocketMath is using

For Texas wrongful death claims, the liability trigger is whether a wrongful act, neglect, or default caused the death.

DocketMath’s Texas jurisdiction rule reflects:

• Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.002: “A person is liable for wrongful death if the person's wrongful act, neglect, or default causes the death of another person.”
  Source: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.71.htm

In plain terms: DocketMath uses § 71.002 as the jurisdiction anchor for wrongful-death liability. You’ll still enter the numeric damages components separately in the calculator.

3) Gather inputs before you start typing

Wrongful death damages calculators usually depend on a handful of core categories. Before you enter anything, collect the items you plan to use.

Common input categories you’ll typically see in DocketMath-style workflows include:

• Economic loss items (often modeled around income/earnings)
• Time horizon inputs (often tied to life expectancy / years of support)
• Assumptions for earning growth or inflation (if offered)
• Non-economic damages fields (if the tool includes them)

Quick checklist (use it to prevent blank-field defaults):

• Decedent’s relevant earnings or income figure(s)
• Proposed time horizon (or the inputs needed to compute it)
• Any adjustments offered by the calculator (growth, inflation, or similar)
• Non-economic damages inputs (if available in the calculator UI)
• Any special modifiers you plan to use (only if DocketMath provides them)

4) Enter inputs in DocketMath (Texas mode)

Now go field-by-field in the calculator UI:

• Keep each input tied to a specific number you can explain later.
• If DocketMath offers toggles (e.g., include/exclude a category), turn them on/off based on what you intend to model for this scenario.

Tip for reviewability: If you’re comparing scenarios (for example, “conservative” vs. “aggressive” earning assumptions), run separate calculator versions and label them clearly in your notes. That makes side-by-side comparison much easier.

5) Review intermediate outputs (not just the total)

Most damages calculators show intermediate results such as:

• Component subtotals (economic vs. non-economic, depending on the tool)
• Totals by year or modeled period (if the tool provides a schedule)
• Any applied adjustments (growth, discounting, proration, etc.)

Scan for:

• The model period matches your intended assumptions
• The economic component tracks the earnings/time inputs you entered
• The final total reflects the categories you intended to include

6) Run a scenario check by changing ONE input at a time

To understand sensitivity and verify the model responds correctly, change one input and rerun:

• If you increase the time horizon, does the economic total scale as expected?
• If you adjust the earnings assumption, does the output move in the right direction?
• If non-economic damages are included, do they remain unchanged when you only edit economic inputs (and vice versa)?

7) Document the Texas law basis you used in the run

Even though the calculator performs the calculations, capture the jurisdiction anchor so the run is auditable.

For Texas, record:

• Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.002 — wrongful death liability when wrongful act/neglect/default causes death.

Also note:

• calculator run date
• jurisdiction set to Texas (US-TX)
• your key inputs and assumptions (earnings, time horizon, any toggles)

Common pitfalls

Below are practical issues that commonly cause incorrect or confusing outputs when running wrongful-death damages modeling in a jurisdiction-aware tool like DocketMath.

Pitfall 1: Mixing jurisdiction rules between states

If you previously worked another jurisdiction, you may accidentally carry assumptions into Texas runs.

Fix: Confirm US-TX is selected before entering numbers.

Pitfall 2: Treating the provided Texas data as a claim-type rule

Your provided Texas jurisdiction data includes:

• § 71.002 (general wrongful death liability trigger)

It does not add a claim-type-specific sub-rule in the supplied data. So avoid building special “time window by claim type” logic into the workflow unless the calculator UI explicitly supports Texas-specific claim-type logic.

Pitfall 3: Skipping the intermediate output check

Totals can look reasonable even when:

• the model period is wrong,
• an input field is left blank (and defaulted),
• or a category is accidentally turned off.

Fix: Always review component subtotals and any schedule/period breakdown.

Pitfall 4: Over-adjusting assumptions without sensitivity checks

If you adjust multiple inputs at once (earnings + time horizon + modifiers), you won’t know which assumption drove the output.

Fix: Change one input per rerun for clean comparisons.

Pitfall 5: Forgetting to capture assumptions for later review

Outputs are only usable if you can reproduce the assumptions behind them.

Fix: Record the earnings figure(s), time horizon basis, categories included, and any toggles/modifiers used.

Try it

Ready to run your Texas wrongful death damages scenario in DocketMath?

1. Go to: /tools/wrongful-death-damages
2. Set jurisdiction to Texas (US-TX) (if prompted)
3. Enter your chosen inputs
4. Review:

   • component totals
   • overall total
   • any period/schedule breakdown
5. Do a one-input sensitivity rerun to confirm the model responds logically
6. Record the Texas law basis used:

   • Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.002 (wrongful death liability when wrongful act/neglect/default causes death)

If you want, run two scenarios (for example, “lower earnings assumption” vs. “higher earnings assumption”) and compare outputs side-by-side in your notes.

Related reading

• How to calculate Wrongful Death Damages in Philippines — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Worked example: Wrongful Death Damages in Philippines — Worked example with real statute citations
• Inputs you need for Wrongful Death Damages in Philippines — Input checklist with sourcing guidance