Negligent deaths — crashes, facility neglect, malpractice, workplace incidents — hand grieving families a legal to-do list nobody wants. Here it is anyway, ordered by what actually matters first.
- 1. Preserve before it disappears: vehicles, records, video, and the scene’s evidence — the one truly time-critical item, handled by counsel so the family doesn’t carry it.
- 2. Open the estate: a personal representative is appointed (the register of wills process) — the legal actor who brings both claims; we help families start it.
- 3. Understand the two claims: Wrongful Death (the family’s losses — support, services, companionship) and Survival (the estate’s — the person’s own pain and lost earnings) — pursued together, allocated carefully.
- 4. Hold the deadlines: two years generally, six months’ notice for government defendants — and criminal proceedings pause none of it.
- 5. Let honest counsel carry it: contingency representation, candid odds, and a pace that respects grief without surrendering the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who in the family ‘owns’ the claim?
The estate’s personal representative brings it for the statutory beneficiaries — spouse, children, parents — under distribution rules. Family disagreements about it are common and navigable; raise them early.
What if we can’t face this for a few months?
Preservation and deadlines are the only items that can’t wait — counsel can hold those quietly while the family breathes. That division of labor is the point of early representation.
What does hiring you cost?
No attorney’s fee unless we recover; percentage and cost handling are in the written fee agreement. Consultations are free.
Questions about your situation? Call (215) 464-4600 or contact us online — free, confidential consultations, contingency-fee representation.