Wrongful Death Lawyer
In 2017 there were 1,095 fatal car accidents on Pennsylvania roads, as well as another 145 fatalities involving commercial trucks and 180 fatal motorcycle accidents. According to the 2016 annual report of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, 77 workers were killed on the job in construction and other industries. Each of these deaths involved somebody’s spouse, parent or child, causing financial loss and grief beyond measure. The greatest tragedy of all is that most of these deaths were needless, had only other drivers or employers taken greater care to drive safely on the road or provide a safe working environment.
When another’s negligence took the life of a family’s breadwinner, household manager, caregiver, or cut a young life short, the Figured Law Firm is ready to step in and help bereaved family members hold the responsible party accountable for their actions or omissions. We know that no amount of compensation can bring somebody back. We also know that the loss of a family member inflicts very real immediate and lasting costs on a family, both financial and emotional. Pennsylvania law allows family members to recover compensation through a wrongful death civil action, and our wrongful death lawyer is here to help you through that process. Your family needs it, and justice requires it.
How Pennsylvania Wrongful Death Law Works
Pennsylvania’s wrongful death law can be found in Title 42, section 8301 of Pennsylvania Statutes. This law allows recovery for a death caused by another’s wrongful act, neglect, unlawful violence or negligence. A surviving spouse, children and parents all receive a portion of whatever amount of compensation is recovered. Recoverable damages include reasonable hospital, nursing, medical, and funeral expenses, as well as other legal damages allowed by law. If there is no surviving spouse, child or parent, the personal representative of the estate can bring an action to recover reasonable hospital, nursing, medical, and funeral expenses.
Even at this difficult time, the burden still falls on the aggrieved party to prove required elements of the case, such as the other party’s fault in causing the death, their liability for the damages caused, and the nature and extent of those losses. A wrongful death action can sometimes be harder to prove than a personal injury claim, since it may be more difficult to recover evidence and piece together the facts of the accident. Knowing this, insurance companies may put up a fight and make it more difficult to recover, rather than simply offering a fair amount of compensation to settle the case.
At the Figured Law Firm, we’ll work with you personally to help you through this process. We take the time to explain the process so you’ll know what is needed and what to expect. You’ll also know from the start that our firm is taking care of you and will do all we can to see that your needs are met.
Call the Figured Law Firm for Help
For advice and representation regarding a wrongful death claim in northeastern Pennsylvania, call the Figured Law Firm at 570-954-9299 for a no-cost, confidential consultation with a caring, compassionate and effective Wilkes Barre personal injury lawyer dedicated to getting results for you and your family.
