Experienced Wrongful Death And Survival Lawyers
The pain of losing a loved one is immeasurable, especially when it’s due to someone else’s negligence. Waldron & Williams offers compassionate legal representation in wrongful death and survival cases, working to bring some measure of justice and relief to grieving families. Mr. Williams can help you seek compensation for funeral costs, loss of income, emotional trauma, loss of companionship, and more. By holding at-fault parties responsible, you can also experience peace of mind knowing that justice has been served. Mr. Williams can handle every aspect of your case while you focus on healing and
remembering your loved one.
If this has happened to your family, please know that the attorneys at Waldron & Williams are here to help you. We have decades of experience, and we handle a wide range of personal injury cases.
Understanding The Differences Between Wrongful Death And Survival Actions
In Pennsylvania, there are two main types of legal claims that can be brought in connection to fatal accidents:
- Wrongful death: This focuses on providing relief to the survivors for losses suffered due to a loved one’s passing. While the personal representative of the estate generally files such a claim, any settlement or jury award goes to the deceased’s family members. Damages one can seek in such lawsuits include compensation for funeral and medical expenses and losses of the financial support, household services and companionship of a loved one.
- Survival action: This focuses on the losses a loved one suffered before their death and can be used to seek damages for their unpaid wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. It can only be filed by the personal representative of the estate and any settlement or award goes directly to the estate.
Both claim types can arise in connection to the same incident. So, having an attorney who understands how these two actions interact can be critical. Attorney Steven T. Williams has extensive knowledge of and experience with Pennsylvania wrongful death and survival action claims.
Types Of Cases We Handle
Wrongful death and survival action claims are typically available when another party’s negligence causes a death. We represent clients in all types of fatal accident cases, including those involving:
- Car, truck and motorcycle accidents
- Workplace accidents and construction site deaths
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Premises liability, including slip and falls or inadequate security
- Defective products and dangerous drugs
- Pedestrian and bicycle fatalities
Our experienced, trial-tested team is ready to help you pursue justice.
The Wrongful Death Claims Process In Pennsylvania
While every case is different, common steps in wrongful death and survival action claims include:
- Initial consultation and case evaluation
- Formally filing the claim, which, in Pennsylvania, typically must be done within two years of the death for wrongful death claims and two years of the injury for survival action claims
- Gathering, preserving, analyzing and disclosing evidence
- Exploring options for settlement
- Preparing for trial
- Taking the case to trial if necessary
Our team can guide you through every step, always keeping you fully informed of the likely case timeline and other key details.
Time Is Of The Essence
Timeliness is very important in preserving evidence and identifying defendants in all personal injury cases, but especially in wrongful death cases. We work with a team of experts from accident reconstructionists to forensic economists to demonstrate liability and prove financial damages.
Our skilled and compassionate lawyers advocate on your behalf to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. We have counseled numerous families struggling with the death of a family member. We are sensitive to the grieving process and do our best to preserve evidence and navigate the legal process without causing additional stress or burden to the surviving family members.
Discuss Your Options
When you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another, contact Waldron & Williams to discuss the options you have for moving forward. You can send us an online message or call our office in Allentown at 610-774-9790.