Philadelphia Wrongful Death Lawyers

Getting justice from the untimely death of a love one caused by another's negligence or carelessness requires aggressive Philadelphia wrongful death lawyers. We fight for the Philadelphia families of a wrongful death and are motivated and aggressive in getting the personal injury settlement that family needs. Contact Ciccarelli Law Offices if a loved one is the victim of a wrongful death in Philadelphia or it suburbs by email or call 24/7 toll free (877) 846-1529.

Fighting for A Grieving Family

Who are the designated beneficiaries that can bring an action for wrongful death? In Pennsylvania, the designated beneficiaries are the decedent's spouse, child or children and parents. If the decedent did not have a spouse, child or surviving parents, an action can be brought by a personal representative of the deceased but only to recover damages for hospital, nursing, medical, funeral expenses and expenses of administration. Learn more about our Philadelphia Wrongful Death Practice:

In a wrongful death action, the recovery is for the damages suffered by the beneficiaries, not for the injuries to the decedent. You cannot recover for the decedent's pain and suffering. Damages can include loss of decedent's earnings that would have gone to the benefit of the beneficiaries, spouse's loss of decedent's services, and companionship, parent's loss of services of a child and a minor child's loss of nurture of a deceased parent. In Pennsylvania you can also recover medical expenses, funeral expenses and cost of administering the estate. Any damages recovered in a wrongful death action are not subject to estate or inheritance taxes or to the claims of creditors.

Understanding your Wrongful Death Rights

The Wrongful Death Act provides that recovery "shall be distributed to the beneficiaries in the proportion they would take the personal estate of the decedent in case of intestacy." (Intestacy means dying without a will.) Damages are distributed according to intestate laws whether or not Defendant has a will. Thus, in a case where a widow suffers the main pecuniary loss from her husband's death and the husband had a child from a previous marriage (who lives with previous wife and essentially suffers no loss) the damages will be split equally among the wife and child. An exception exists when there are adult children who suffer no pecuniary loss and a widow; the adult children are not entitled to damages.

Proving damages in a wrongful death action can get complicated. The plaintiff must prove the life expectancy of the defendant, future earning power and the amount the decedent would have contributed to his or her beneficiaries. This requires hiring experts such as economists or actuaries to calculate the overall damages. The defendant will also hire experts who will try to minimize the damages. Due to the complicated nature of wrongful death suits, if someone you know has died due to another's negligence you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Our promise: You need Philadelphia wrongful death lawyers ready to fight for justice for your family after a wrongful death. You do not expect guarantees but you need a Philadelphia wrongful death lawyer that you can trust to fight for you and your family to the fullest extent of the law. Our legal team promises to work for you; be thorough and aggressive in setting out the best strategies for you and your loved ones.

A Team that Fights For Results

At Ciccarelli Lawyers, our team of Philadelphia Wrongful Death lawyers are working on your case so that you have the benefit of several attorneys including Lee and using their combined efforts and experience to get you the justice you and your family need. We represent grieving families throughout Pennsylvania including the Philadelphia metropolitan area of Bucks County, Berks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Lancaster County, Lehigh County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia. Get Justice.

You Don't Owe Attorney Fees Unless We Recover For You

We accept Pennsylvania personal injury cases such as wrongful death and survival actions on a contingency fee basis; which means that we do not require an advance fee, retainer or hourly rate but base our fee on a percentage of the monetary settlement we earn for you. Call Us 24/7 toll free at (877) 846-1529. Learn how we will work toward the results you need.

When your family has been victimized by a wrongful death in Philadelphia, you need justice; and you need a top Philadelphia wrongful death lawyer with years of experience winning the tough cases: contact Lee Ciccarelli and our Philadelphia Wrongful Death team today. Call 24/7 at (877) 846-1529.