Hazleton Wrongful Death Attorneys
When a person dies due to the reckless or careless actions of another, a legal action known as a wrongful death claim may be filed. A wrongful death claim is filed on behalf of the surviving family members. In Pennsylvania, survivor statutes allow immediate family members, such as a spouse, children or parents to collect damages from the person who caused the death.
Wrongful death damages are intended to replace money the deceased person would have provided to the family had he or she lived, as well as expenses the family incurs because of the death. Those damages include lost earnings or wages, medical and funeral expenses, estate administration expenses, and money for the surviving family members' emotional pain and suffering.
The Hazleton wrongful death lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright serve the residents of Hazleton and Luzerne County. If you have lost a loved one because of the negligence of another person, call us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or contact us online to discuss your case. Our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights through teamwork and the use of our considerable resources and experience.
Wrongful death can arise in varied settings and from various causes, including:
- Automobile accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Defective products / Product liability
- Medical malpractice
- Workplace injury
Whatever the circumstances, the common denominator is the negligent, reckless or intentional conduct of one person toward another.
The results in each setting are the same -- a family loses a loved one, and that deep emotional loss may be accompanied by financial harm when the deceased person was the family's breadwinner. In Pennsylvania, survivors can bring a wrongful death lawsuit. However, proving a wrongful death claim can be extremely difficult.
The law requires the family to prove these legal elements:
- The person or company allegedly responsible for the death owed a duty to the deceased person;
- The person or company fell short in that duty;
- The death resulted from a breach of that duty; and
- The surviving family members suffered damages.
There are many key factors that must be weighed in a wrongful death claim. For example, the court may examine the legal relationship between the survivors and the deceased, and the court must consider financial evidence, such as the projected lifetime earnings of the deceased, in setting damages.
A critical factor that must always be kept in mind for any wrongful death lawsuit is time. A wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the death, or the claim can be forever lost.
The Hazleton wrongful death lawyers at Munley, Munley & Cartwright have more than four decades of experience in fighting for the rights of families who've lost a loved one because of another person's negligence. We know that money cannot bring back a loved one, but financial compensation can provide economic security to the family left behind. Those damages can pay for the college education of children and provide for living expenses, medical care or other daily needs of the surviving family members.
Call our Hazleton personal injury attorneys at 1-800-318-LAW1 or contact us online for a free review of your case. We work hard to make sure that the financial needs of our clients are met, while remaining aware of the emotional losses they have suffered.
