Harrisburg Wrongful Death Lawyers

Losing a family member unexpectedly is difficult under any circumstances. Learning that the death may have been caused by another person’s negligence can leave a family grieving while also searching for answers about what happened and why.

Pisanchyn Law Firm represents families in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, and throughout Central Pennsylvania in wrongful death cases arising from fatal accidents and negligence.

Our Harrisburg wrongful death lawyers can investigate the circumstances surrounding a death, preserve evidence, identify potentially responsible parties, and explain the legal options available to surviving family members.

What Is a Wrongful Death Claim?

A wrongful death claim may arise when a person’s death results from conduct that could have supported a personal injury claim had the person survived.

Depending on the circumstances, a fatal injury may involve negligence by an individual, business, healthcare provider, property owner, trucking company, manufacturer, or another party.

Wrongful death cases can arise from incidents such as:

• Car accidents
• Tractor-trailer and commercial vehicle crashes
• Motorcycle accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Construction accidents
• Workplace incidents involving third parties
• Dangerous properties
• Defective products
• Nursing home or group home negligence
• Other preventable fatal injuries

Determining whether a death resulted from negligence often requires an independent investigation.

Why an Independent Investigation May Matter

Families understandably rely on police reports, medical records, insurance companies, employers, or other organizations for information after a fatal accident.

Those records can be important, but they may not tell the entire story.

Depending on the circumstances, a wrongful death investigation may involve photographs, video recordings, witness interviews, medical records, vehicle data, maintenance records, employment information, expert analysis, and other evidence.

When a company or insurance carrier is involved, it may begin conducting its own investigation immediately.

Having someone investigating on behalf of the family can help preserve evidence and answer questions about responsibility.

Who May Bring a Wrongful Death Claim?

Pennsylvania law determines how wrongful death and related claims are brought and how any recovery is distributed.

Because family circumstances differ, questions can arise about who has authority to pursue a claim, what damages may be available, and how an estate becomes involved.

An attorney can review the family’s circumstances and explain the process that applies to the particular case.

What Losses Can Be Considered?

A fatal injury creates losses that extend far beyond medical and funeral expenses.

Depending upon the claim and circumstances, damages may involve financial support the deceased person would have provided, services provided to the family, medical and funeral expenses, and other legally recoverable losses.

Pennsylvania law also recognizes distinctions between wrongful death claims and claims belonging to the deceased person’s estate.

Our attorneys can explain which claims may apply and what evidence may be needed to document the family’s losses.

Fatal Car and Truck Accidents

Motor vehicle collisions are a common source of wrongful death claims.

Serious cases involving commercial trucks can be particularly complicated because responsibility may extend beyond the driver to a trucking company or other businesses.

Evidence from vehicles, electronic systems, witnesses, surveillance cameras, trucking records, and the accident scene may become important in determining how a fatal collision occurred.

Wrongful Death Caused by Medical Negligence

When a patient dies after medical treatment, the fact that the outcome was tragic does not automatically establish malpractice.

A medical malpractice wrongful death case generally requires evidence that the care fell below the applicable standard and that the failure contributed to the patient’s death.

These cases can require extensive medical records and review by qualified medical professionals.

Don’t Wait to Preserve Evidence

There are legal deadlines for bringing wrongful death and related claims, but waiting can cause problems long before a filing deadline arrives.

Surveillance video may disappear. Vehicles can be repaired or destroyed. Physical conditions can change. Witnesses become harder to locate.

If your family has questions about whether negligence contributed to a death, an early investigation may help preserve information needed to determine what happened.

Harrisburg Wrongful Death Attorneys Serving Families Throughout Central Pennsylvania

Pisanchyn Law Firm represents families throughout Harrisburg, Dauphin County, and Central Pennsylvania.

Our Harrisburg office is located at:

Pisanchyn Law Firm
3609 N. Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-238-3333

Speak With a Harrisburg Wrongful Death Lawyer

You don’t need to know whether you have a wrongful death case before calling us.

If your family has questions about a fatal accident or suspected negligence, Pisanchyn Law Firm can review what happened and explain whether further investigation may be appropriate.

Call our Harrisburg office at 717-238-3333 or 1-800-444-5309 for a free, confidential consultation.

For wrongful death matters accepted on a contingency-fee basis, there is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.

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