Bethel Park Wrongful Death Lawyer

The death of a loved one always brings sorrow. If your family member died due to another person’s negligent or wrongful act, the inescapable feeling of “if only” may stay with you for years. Please accept our condolences for your loss as you and your family navigate these unfamiliar waters.

Our personal injury lawyers will guide you through the legal process. Receiving compensation won’t change what’s happened, but it can help ease the financial burden from this unexpected event and allow your family the space to grieve. Schedule your free case consultation today. Berger and Green has more than 40 years of experience serving the legal needs of Pennsylvanians, and our wrongful death attorneys are here to serve you.

Protecting Your Family’s Future After a Wrongful Death

Drawing from the tens of thousands of personal injury and wrongful death cases we’ve handled at Berger and Green, the depth of knowledge we provide as a personal injury law firm is significant. We will use that experience to fight for the justice you and your family deserve and make the legal process as easy as possible for you.

We will ensure that communication between our legal team and you, our client, is open and flowing smoothly. Keeping you informed about your case’s status and answering your questions is important to your peace of mind and the efficiency of our work.

We want to hear your story. If you can’t meet us in our office, we will come to your home and handle your case from wherever you are. As our client, you will always come first.

Compensation Available in a Wrongful Death Claim

In Pennsylvania, the surviving parents, children, or spouse may bring a wrongful death action, or lawsuit, are the only people who can be beneficiaries for losses suffered due to a loved one’s death. 

Compensable wrongful death damages may include:

• Medical bills related to the injury up to the time of death
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of guidance and parental care
• Loss of financial support, income, and benefits 
• Mental anguish

If no surviving family members are eligible to recover compensation, a personal representative of the deceased may file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking to recover damages for medical, funeral, and administrative costs on behalf of the decedent’s estate, per 42 Pa. C.S. § 8301.

A wrongful death may fall under multiple laws, depending on the circumstances of the incident. Contact Berger and Green today. A wrongful death attorney from our team can explain your legal rights.

Proving Your Loved One Suffered a Wrongful Death in Bethel Park

Before filing a wrongful death lawsuit, you and your personal injury attorney must gather evidence to prove an individual or entity acted in a wrongful, negligent, or unlawful way, resulting in your loved one’s death. We must also prove that you suffered losses due to your loved one’s death. 

Wrongful death claims can result from many different accidents or events, including:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Boat accidents
• Bus accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Slip-and-fall accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Defective products
• Premises liability cases
• Dog bites

The elements in a wrongful death suit are similar to those in a personal injury lawsuit:

• The defendant owed a duty of care to the decedent. Examples might include an employer who must provide appropriate safety gear to employees or a vehicle driver who must drive safely to avoid harming others.
• The defendant breached their duty of care by, for instance, not providing reflective gear to highway workers or driving while impaired, thereby risking harm to others.
• The breach of duty caused your loved one’s death.
• You and your family suffered damages due to your loved one’s death.

Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit within the Statute of Limitations

You may file a wrongful death lawsuit within two years of your loved one’s passing, per Pa. C.S.A. § 5524. This is the amount of time Pennsylvania allows you to begin a legal action against the defendant. If you don’t meet the deadline, the court may not allow you to seek a compensation verdict or judgment.

There are exceptions to the statute of limitations. Our wrongful death attorneys will examine your case to determine whether any exceptions apply.

Filing a Survival Action After a Wrongful Death in Bethel Park, PA

A survival action is separate from a wrongful death lawsuit. The personal representative of the decedent’s estate may bring a lawsuit to recover financial compensation for damages the decedent could have recovered in a personal injury lawsuit if they had lived. Such losses may include the decedent’s following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering

The damages recovered from a survival action would go to the decedent’s estate and be distributed to their beneficiaries.

How Our Berger and Green Wrongful Death Attorneys May Approach Your Case

Your wrongful death lawyer will investigate your loved one’s death to determine if it meets the legal definition of a wrongful death. Our investigation may include:

• Collecting police reports, medical records, eyewitness statements, CCTV footage, and bystander videos or still images
• Expert reconstruction of the incident that caused the death of your loved one

Once we have collected the evidence supporting a wrongful death claim and identified the at-fault party, we will file a claim with their insurance company, if appropriate, and negotiate for a fair compensation settlement on your behalf.

If we believe it will be to your benefit, we will file a wrongful death lawsuit. While most cases settle out of court, we are not afraid to take your case to trial if necessary. 

These are broad statements addressing how we may handle a wrongful death case. The actions we take on your behalf will be specific to your unique needs and best interests.

Get Help From a Bethel Park Wrongful Death Lawyer Today

Call our office or fill out our contact form to schedule your free, confidential case consultation. Wrongful death laws in Pennsylvania are complicated. Our legal team at Berger and Green is skilled in cutting through the noise to isolate the laws that affect your case. We care about you and your family, and we’ll be there for you during this difficult time as soon as you’re ready to reach out.