Jane knew it was unlikely that her Dad would ever live on his own again, but she never anticipated the call from the nursing home telling her that he died in a completely avoidable way. Even though the nursing home staff knew her father had dementia and was often unable to take care of himself properly, they put no precautions in place to prevent him from leaving. He wandered off through an unsecured door—and into a Pennsylvania snowstorm—wearing his slippers and pajamas.
His body was found 28 hours later on the banks of the Susquehanna River.
Getting the right lawyer for your Pennsylvania nursing home wrongful death case
We use the phrase wrongful death when someone dies as a result of negligent actions (or inaction) by a person who owed a special duty to care for the safety of others. Wrongful deaths are frighteningly common in Pennsylvania nursing homes. Residential facilities for the sick and elderly have an increased duty to keep their clients safe. Nevertheless, we regularly hear news reports of seniors who have been abused or neglected in nursing homes—with fatal results.
The close family members of a person who dies due to negligent care in a Pennsylvania nursing home have the legal right to seek compensation for their losses. We’ll tell you quite frankly that you’re not qualified to handle this task on your own without legal assistance. Wrongful death is a complicated area of the law, and in the turmoil after your family member’s passing you are unlikely to pick up the education you would require.
So, if you want to exercise your rights to demand an accounting for the wrongful death, you will want to hire a lawyer. That seems easy enough: Pennsylvania has lot of lawyers. But not just any lawyer will do. You need someone with specific skills who can give you the best chance to recovery the full, fair value of your claim. Look for a lawyer:
- Who has longstanding experience with both wrongful death claims and nursing home injury lawsuits.
- Who has a record of successfully negotiating settlements out of court and litigating cases before a judge and jury when a fair settlement cannot be reached.
- Who has a solid history as a thorough investigator.
- Who can explain the issues of your case without using legal jargon so you understand what’s at stake every step of the way.
- Who has a good reputation for tact and compassion in dealing with families mourning a recent loss.
Why you might not want to hire us
If you are shopping for legal representation for a nursing home wrongful death case, you will no doubt be interviewing a number of lawyers to look for the “best fit” for you. Here at Schmidt Kramer, our nursing home abuse attorneys in Harrisburg would like the opportunity to speak with you, too. Call us toll-free at (717) 888-8888 to schedule a confidential case review at no charge.
However, you should know going in that we don’t take wrongful death cases lightly. If you are looking for a lawyer who just wants to close your case as quickly as possible and pick up the first settlement offered, you probably would be happier looking elsewhere for legal representation. We want you to understand that we take the negligent death of your family member just as seriously as you do, and we expect to see that justice is served in the way your case comes out.