Wrongful Death Lawyers in Pennsylvania

Although you may not want to think about seeking money amid your grief, there are real financial reasons to do so. The medical care leading up to death and costs of burial and funeral expenses can quickly become expensive. On top of those bills, you may be facing the prospect of losing your loved one’s income. These are real costs that will affect your life now and into the future. Lenahan & Dempsey’s lawyers will tirelessly pursue compensation for these losses. 

In the event of a death caused by the fault of another, there are two legal claims recognized under Pennsylvania law:  Wrongful Death and Survival.  

A Wrongful Death claim is brought by a personal representative of the deceased for the benefit of the spouse, children or parents of the deceased loved one.  Damages in a Wrongful Death claim are intended to financially compensate the decedent’s spouse, parent or children for the losses they suffered as a result of their loved one’s death. 

Wrongful Death damages can include compensation for damages such as:

• Medical expenses (such as hospital, nursing or other medical bills) of the deceased from the time of the accident until the time of death;
• Funeral, burial and estate administrative expenses;
• Loss of financial contributions the parents, spouse or children of the decedent would have received from the deceased, including for shelter, food, clothing, medical care, education, entertainment, gifts and recreation;
• Loss of services, society and comfort the deceased would have given to his family; this can include a monetary value for items such as work around the home, physical comfort, and services, society and comfort, as well as the children’s loss of the deceased’s services such as guidance, tutelage and moral upbringing;
• The emotional and psychological loss suffered by certain family members as a result of the deceased’s death;

A Survival claim allows the personal representative of the deceased to bring a claim for the damages the deceased would have been entitled to receive if he or she had lived.  Survival damages can include:

• The deceased’s loss of earnings from the time of the injury until the end of his or her normal life expectancy; this can include retirement or social security benefits;  personal maintenance expenses and amounts awarded in wrongful death for financial contributions to family members are deducted;
• The deceased’s physical and mental pain and suffering, inconvenience and loss of life’s pleasures from the time of injury until the time of death.