Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks that they would love to be in the middle of a wrongful death suit after the unexpected death of a loved one. Sadly, for too many Pittsburgh residents, this is the reality they find themselves facing after a tragic accident. However, a wrongful death lawsuit may be the best option after a tragic death of a family member involving the negligence of a third party. This was the decision a Philadelphia man came to after a truck exploded, which caused the death of his mother and sister.
The fatal accident happened very suddenly inside the family’s food truck. The mother and daughter were inside preparing food when suddenly the truck burst into an 11-foot flame that caused their death and injured bystanders. According to the lawsuit, the man is seeking damages from the truck company claiming that they were negligent for the deaths when they failed to provide safe propane tanks. The man claims the tanks were faulty, which directly led to the deaths of the mother and sister.
Wrongful death cases, such as the one in this case, aim to seek compensation for the loss of a loved one. Some families struggle with whether or not to file such a suit. Nothing could ever replace the loss of a loved one. However monetary damages, through a wrongful death suit, is the only mechanism by which the law can compensate the victim’s family, while also holding the negligent parties accountable.
Companies that fill propane tanks, such as the one at the center of this wrongful death lawsuit, are obligated by law to check the tanks for safety. This would include checking for leaks, loose caps or cracks in the tank. These tank conditions could very well have caused the deaths of the two women in the food truck. The courts will decide if this is true and if it was the responsibility of the truck company to prevent this from happening.
Source: PennRecord.com, “Philly man files wrongful death suit over fatal propane tank explosion,” Nicholas Malfitano, July 20, 2015