This page is written for the worst week — plainly, because families in it deserve information without performance. After a fatal crash, several processes start at once, and knowing which need you (and which don’t yet) is its own relief.
- The investigations run themselves: police reconstruction and the medical examiner proceed without family action; possible criminal charges run on the prosecutor’s track — supportive of, never required for, the civil claim.
- The insurance clock runs quietly: liability carriers begin defending immediately; families owe them nothing — no statements, no signatures — while evidence preservation (vehicles, video, data) genuinely can’t wait.
- The family’s claim takes shape deliberately: opening the estate, then the paired Wrongful Death and Survival Act claims — with realistic expectations and the two-year clock (six months for government defendants) governing.
- What can wait: almost every decision except preservation and deadlines — grief gets room; the case gets counsel to hold its clocks; the first-steps guide goes deeper.
Frequently Asked Questions
The insurance company called offering condolences and a quick settlement. Why?
Because early releases are cheapest — grief is priced as urgency. No signature belongs on anything before the claim is understood; condolences are free, releases aren’t.
Do we need the police investigation finished before doing anything?
No — the civil claim builds in parallel, and waiting risks the evidence only your side will preserve. The reports join the file when ready.
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.