Venango County wrongful death attorneys serve residents of Venango County and across Pennsylvania who have lost loved ones as a result of someone else’s fault. Wrongful death cases are some of the most emotional and challenging cases that our attorneys handle, but they are passionate about helping grieving loved ones and holding appropriate parties responsible for the harm they have caused.
Wrongful death cases in Pennsylvania are civil actions that are meant to compensate family members for their losses as a result of losing their loved ones. When the cause of fatal injuries is someone’s negligent or wrongful conduct, he or she should be held accountable.
Wrongful death claims and experienced attorneys
Successful results achieved in wrongful death cases can help families begin to move on from these painful events and bring a sense of closure. Experienced wrongful death attorneys know what it takes to build a case against defendants and to achieve the best possible results for surviving family members. See below for what to expect in wrongful death cases.
- Attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation gathering necessary evidence such as interviewing witnesses, going over police reports, examining any available surveillance footage of the accident, conducting background checks, and hiring outside professional investigators when necessary.
- Attorneys will gather the necessary financial information and hire tax and financial experts to help value the plaintiffs’ wrongful death claim.
- Sometimes defendants’ actions in wrongful death cases are criminal and sometimes they are not. When actions are not criminal, they may feel to surviving family members that the defendant took a life without suffering any consequences. Successful wrongful death claims that find defendants at fault help those family members feel like justice has finally been served.
- When surviving family members are awarded compensation in wrongful death claims, current and future financial concerns due to losing the deceased’s financial support are alleviated. Reducing financial stress allows families to get their lives moving in the right direction again and to focus on their emotional recovery and well being.
Types of wrongful death cases
Wrongful death attorneys at SMT Legal handle many types of wrongful death cases including the following:
- Car crash
- Medical malpractice
- Swimming pool accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Children’s injuries
- Nursing home and daycare abuse
- ATV accidents
- Boating accidents
- Dangerous products such as cancer-causing products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices
- Train accidents
- Construction accidents
Compensation in wrongful death cases
Recoverable damages in wrongful death claims may include medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses, loss of the decedent’s financial support, and loss of the decedent’s support and services. In some cases, survival actions may also be appropriate in order to compensate for the deceased’s estate for injuries and damages suffered by the deceased prior to his or her death. Recoveries in survival actions may include the decedent’s pain and suffering and lost wages prior to his or her death.
