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Monday, March 11, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Prominent Dallas Attorney Found Dead in His Car

Prominent Dallas personal injury attorney Brian Loncar was found dead in his car outside his law office Sunday, two days after he buried his teenage daughter, who’d committed suicide.

DALLAS (CN) — Prominent Dallas personal injury attorney Brian Loncar was found dead in his car outside his law office Sunday, two days after he buried his teenage daughter, who’d committed suicide.

Loncar, 56, was known throughout Texas for his television commercials that ran for decades. Calling himself the "Strong Arm," Loncar spoke in his commercials about how he would get money for his clients. He said in his latest commercial that his staff is willing to travel anywhere in Texas to speak with prospective clients.

Along with Jim “The Texas Hammer” Adler in Houston, Loncar was one of the first personal injury attorneys in the state to rely heavily on television advertisements.

Loncar was found unresponsive in his Rolls-Royce parked outside the offices of Loncar & Associates in downtown Dallas. He was pronounced dead at the nearby Baylor University Medical Center.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office has not announced a cause of death, and is awaiting toxicology test results that can take several weeks. The office has not confirmed media reports that family members said they were told Loncar probably died of a heart attack.

Loncar died two days after he buried his 16-year-old daughter, Grace. She shot herself on Nov. 26 after a years-long battle with depression.

Loncar’s family said they are “filled with enormous sadness and profound grief.”

“We are shocked and numbed by these tragic events and ask the community and the news media to respect our privacy in this most difficult time,” the Loncars said in a statement. “Right now, we are hurting and struggling to understand. Today, we are embracing each other; we know this pain and heartache will be with us forever.”

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins praised Loncar as “whip smart, a natural leader and a master at quickly understanding people and marketing,” and called him a close friend.

“Several years ago, he was in a horrific wreck that crushed his pelvis and caused massive injuries,” Jenkins said in a statement. “He refused to be defeated and rehabbed through the pain with a tenacity few people possess. He loved his family more than anything. Grace’s death broke his heart.”

A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. Friday at Munger Place Church. Visitation is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. on Thursday at Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.

Follow @davejourno
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