Losing a loved one in an accident can be devastating and can leave family members feeling confused, angry and anxious to seek retribution for their loss. Any Pittsburgh wrongful death lawyer knows how families struggle when an accident claims the life of a loved one.
One widow probably felt these emotions when she brought a wrongful death lawsuit against two companies and a tractor-trailer driver for her husband’s death in a highway accident seven years ago. Her husband was driving on the highway when a piece of mining equipment crashed into his vehicle, killing him. The equipment, which included four hefty cylindrical pins, was owned by a Pennsylvania coal company and was being transported to a facility for repair. Out of the four pins that were placed on the truck, one was left unsecured. The case has finally been resolved with a $3.2 million jury verdict in the widow’s favor.
A wrongful death lawsuit may be brought by the representative of the estate of the individual who has been killed because of another’s negligence. That person’s surviving relatives may receive the damage award from a successful wrongful death lawsuit. A damage award may include money for loss of income and medical expenses.
Wrongful death suits can be brought against anyone whose negligence may have caused injury. In the widow’s case, the jury found the driver of the big rig and one of the companies to be 90 percent liable. The coal company was found to be 10 percent at fault. Though the case has drawn on for years, the coal company plans to appeal the verdict.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Jury awards $3.2 million to widow of man killed in highway accident,” Paula Reed Ward, Oct. 6, 2012