When a Pennsylvania family experiences a tragic loss due to a car crash, it can take a long time before life returns to anything resembling ‘normal.’ There are immediate concerns that must be addressed following a fatal car accident, including contacting friends and family to notify them of the incident and making final arrangements. Once the immediate rush of action is over, the real grieving process begins, which can take months or even years to complete.

In many cases in which a loss of life occurs at the hands of a negligent driver, families simply accept their loss and move forward. They are often unaware that they have rights in regard to holding the negligent party accountable for the accident. In failing to do so, many families will weather serious financial struggles that could have been avoided.

An example may lie in a recent Pennsylvania car crash that claimed the life of one man and left another seriously injured. The crash took place when a driver drifted into another lane and struck the rear tire of the vehicle containing the two victims. As a result, the driver was unable to maintain control of his vehicle and went down an embankment, rolling and spinning. Both men were ejected from the vehicle, and the 44-year-old driver was killed.

As this man’s family begins the process of adjusting to life without their loved one, there will inevitable be financial difficulties associated with their loss. Should they decide to do so, they have the right to pursue an award of damages from the other driver by means of a Pennsylvania wrongful death suit. The outcome could help them adjust to the financial effects for the car accident, as they continue to grieve the greater loss of the companionship of their loved one.

Source: CBS Pittsburgh, “1 Dead, 1 Injured In Mercer Co. Crash,” March 24, 2013