LAWBOSS – Harris, Nelsen & Uvalle, PLLC serves families from its San Antonio office in Fountainhead Tower on I-10. Where a death happened matters to the claim, because it decides which county’s courts hear the case and which office investigates the death. This page sets out what differs around San Antonio.
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Why the county matters
Civil Practice and Remedies Code 15.002 says a lawsuit is generally brought in the county where all or a substantial part of the events happened, or in the county where the defendant lives or, for a company, has its principal office in Texas. A claim against a government body must be brought in the county where the claim arose (section 101.102). So a crash on Loop 1604 usually leads to Bexar County’s courts, and one on I-35 in New Braunfels may lead to Comal County’s.
San Antonio and Bexar County
Most of the families we serve live or lost someone inside Bexar County. TxDOT’s crash records for 2024 count 215 people killed in 205 fatal crashes in the county, 64 of them on interstate highways and 90 on city streets. Deaths in the county are investigated by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office on Louis Pasteur Drive, suits are heard in the civil district courts at the Bexar County Courthouse on Dolorosa Street, and estates go to one of the county’s three statutory probate courts (Government Code 25.0171).
Converse, Universal City, Live Oak, Leon Valley and Helotes are cities in Bexar County, so the same courts and the same medical examiner usually apply there. Converse, Universal City and Live Oak lie to the northeast, near I-35 and Loop 1604; Leon Valley is on the northwest side along Bandera Road near Loop 410; Helotes is on the far northwest edge of the county.
New Braunfels
New Braunfels is the seat of Comal County and lies on I-35 between San Antonio and Austin. A death there may lead to a suit in Comal County’s courts and an estate in Comal County. Families in New Braunfels can still meet us in San Antonio or by phone.
Schertz
Schertz lies along I-35 northeast of San Antonio. Most of the city is in Guadalupe County, its northern part is in Comal County and its southwest corner is in Bexar County, so the exact place of a crash decides which county’s courts and records apply. We check that first.
Boerne
Boerne is the seat of Kendall County, northwest of San Antonio on I-10. A death there is usually a Kendall County matter for the courts and the estate.
Seguin
Seguin is the seat of Guadalupe County, east of San Antonio on I-10. A death there is usually a Guadalupe County matter.
Death investigations outside Bexar County
Not every county has its own medical examiner. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has examined cases for several surrounding counties, including Guadalupe and Kendall, but its own page says it is currently not accepting out-of-county cases. If a death happened outside Bexar County, the funeral home or the investigating police department can tell you which office has the case, and we can find out for you.
Wherever the death happened, the claim is the same Texas wrongful death claim. See wrongful death attorney San Antonio for how we handle it and our family checklist for the records.
Call us at any hour, wherever the death happened.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Responsible attorney: Michael Uvalle, LAWBOSS – Harris, Nelsen & Uvalle, PLLC.