Losing a family member in a truck accident is devastating. In the aftermath, families face grief, financial uncertainty, and urgent questions about their legal rights. In this video, Munley Law explains what families need to know about wrongful death claims following a fatal truck accident.
What You’ll Learn
- Who has the right to file a wrongful death claim in Pennsylvania
- What categories of compensation are available to surviving family members
- How Pennsylvania’s two-year wrongful death statute of limitations works
- Why preserving evidence is urgent even in fatal accident cases
A wrongful death claim is a legal action brought on behalf of the family of someone killed through another party’s negligence. In Pennsylvania, the right to file belongs to the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate, typically a spouse, parent, or adult child. The claim is brought on behalf of all surviving family members who suffered losses as a result of the death.
Compensation in a wrongful death truck accident case can include funeral and burial expenses, medical bills incurred before the victim’s death, lost income and future financial support the deceased would have provided, loss of companionship and guidance — particularly significant for surviving spouses and minor children — and in some cases, punitive damages when the trucking company’s conduct was especially reckless.
One critical point on timing: Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is generally two years from the date of death. That deadline does not pause while you grieve. Evidence disappears fast. The trucking company’s legal team begins building its defense immediately. Consulting with a truck crash attorney as early as possible gives your family the best chance of preserving the evidence needed to establish what happened and who is responsible.
Munley Law has recovered $19.8 million for the family of three killed by a distracted truck driver, $3.97 million for the family of a man killed in a tractor-trailer crash, and $1.8 million for the family of a woman killed in a commercial vehicle accident. Marion Munley and Daniel Munley are both triple board-certified in Truck Accident Law and have decades of experience representing families in the most serious commercial vehicle cases.
Contact Munley Law for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.
