Who can file a wrongful death claim in Pennsylvania?

Under Pennsylvania law, the decedent's personal representative (executor or administrator) brings the claim on behalf of the spouse, children, and parents of the deceased. If the personal representative does not file within six months, any beneficiary may file.

How long do I have to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Pennsylvania?

The statute of limitations is generally two years from the date of death. Some cases involving a delayed discovery of the cause of death may have a discovery rule that extends this deadline — call us so we can analyze your specific case.

Can we file both a wrongful death and a survival action?

Yes — they are separate claims with separate damages. Wrongful death compensates the family for their losses; the survival action compensates the estate for what the decedent suffered between the injury and death. Most Pennsylvania cases plead both.

Is a settlement taxable?

Generally, wrongful death and personal injury settlements are not subject to federal income tax. Punitive damages and interest may be taxable. We always recommend coordinating with a tax professional on the final allocation.

What does it cost to hire a wrongful death attorney?

Nothing up front. We handle Pennsylvania wrongful death cases on a contingency fee — our fee comes out of the recovery, and there is no fee if we do not recover for your family.

Where do fatal crashes most often happen in Pittsburgh?

In Pittsburgh, fatal collisions cluster on the busiest roads in and around Pittsburgh, at high-speed interchanges and merges, and at signalized intersections where a driver ran a red light or a commercial truck failed to yield. We handle serious-injury and wrongful-death cases throughout Allegheny County and the broader western PA region.

Who can file a wrongful death lawsuit after a Pittsburgh fatality?

Under Pennsylvania's Wrongful Death Act (42 Pa. C.S. § 8301), the personal representative of the deceased's estate files the action on behalf of the surviving spouse, children, and parents. If no personal representative is named within six months of death, an eligible beneficiary can bring the suit. We routinely help Pittsburgh families open the estate and get a representative appointed so the case can move forward.

What is the difference between a wrongful death claim and a survival action in Pennsylvania?

A wrongful death claim (42 Pa. C.S. § 8301) compensates the surviving family for their losses — loss of financial support, loss of guidance and companionship, and funeral and burial expenses. A survival action (42 Pa. C.S. § 8302) is brought on behalf of the estate for what the decedent could have recovered had they lived — pre-death pain and suffering, lost future earnings, and medical expenses. Nearly every Pittsburgh wrongful death case we handle includes both.

How long do Pittsburgh families have to file a wrongful death case?

Pennsylvania's statute of limitations for wrongful death and survival actions is two years, generally measured from the date of death. If a public entity contributed — for example, a PennDOT roadway defect on a local highway or a Allegheny County road — a six-month written notice requirement can apply. Do not wait: witness memories fade and physical evidence at the scene disappears quickly.

What damages can a Pittsburgh family recover in a wrongful death case?

Wrongful death damages include the value of financial support the decedent would have provided, the value of services (household work, childcare, guidance), loss of society and companionship for the spouse, children, and parents, and funeral and burial costs. The survival action adds the decedent's own conscious pain and suffering before death, lost earnings from the moment of injury until death, and the present value of lost future earnings.

Who is liable when a fatal crash happens on a local highway?

Liability depends on the facts — an impaired or distracted driver, a trucking company that pushed its driver past federal hours-of-service limits, a bar that over-served a visibly intoxicated patron (Pennsylvania dram-shop liability), an employer whose worker was on the job, or a public entity responsible for a dangerous road design or maintenance failure. We investigate every potentially responsible party so a Pittsburgh family isn't left recovering only against a driver with minimum insurance.

Is there a "cap" on wrongful death damages in a Pittsburgh case?

Pennsylvania does not cap wrongful death or survival damages against private defendants. Caps apply to claims against Commonwealth agencies ($250,000 per plaintiff / $1M per incident under the Sovereign Immunity Act) and local agencies ($500,000 per incident under the Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act). Punitive damages against a medical provider are capped at 200% of compensatory damages.

Do you handle Pittsburgh wrongful death cases on contingency?

Yes. We represent Pittsburgh families on a contingency-fee basis — no attorney's fee unless we recover compensation for you. The consultation is free and confidential, and we advance the cost of accident reconstruction, medical and economic experts, and probate assistance so grieving families can focus on their loved ones, not on legal bills.

Local Representation

Pittsburgh, PA Personal Injury Lawyer

Name: Quinlan Law Group
Address: 3425 Simpson Ferry Rd #100, Camp Hill, PA, 17011, US
Telephone: (717) 724-7503
Price range: Contingency Fee — No Fee Unless We Win

Pittsburgh's tunnels, bridges, and merge points along I-376, I-279, and the Parkway produce some of the most complex multi-vehicle crashes in western Pennsylvania.

We handle serious-injury and wrongful-death cases throughout Allegheny County and the broader western PA region.

Reviewed by Sean Quinlan, Esq. — attorney licensed in Pennsylvania (PA Attorney ID 86858)

Pittsburgh content on this page is written and reviewed by Sean Quinlan, who handles injury and wrongful-death claims across Pennsylvania. About the attorney · Verify PA license

Pittsburgh's geography — three rivers, dozens of bridges, and tunnels carved through steep hillsides — creates some of the most complex crash sites in western Pennsylvania. The Fort Pitt and Squirrel Hill Tunnels, the Parkway East and West, and the maze of bridges connecting downtown to the surrounding neighborhoods all funnel traffic through narrow, high-speed pinch points where a single mistake can trigger a multi-vehicle pileup. If you were hurt in the Fort Pitt Tunnel, on the Parkway, or on one of the city's steep, poorly-sightlined neighborhood streets, you're facing the same disorientation every injured Pittsburgher faces after a serious wreck — medical bills piling up, an insurance adjuster already building a defense, and no clear roadmap for what comes next. This page is that roadmap.

Where crashes happen in Pittsburgh

The Fort Pitt Tunnel and Bridge combination is one of the most treacherous stretches of highway in the region — traffic exits a dark tunnel directly onto a curved bridge with an immediate view of the downtown skyline, a combination that has caused countless distraction-related rear-end and multi-vehicle crashes. The Squirrel Hill Tunnel on the Parkway East creates similar sudden-slowdown hazards during rush hour. I-376's Parkway corridor as a whole is prone to congestion-triggered chain-reaction collisions, particularly near the Greentree and Edgewood exits. I-279 running north from downtown sees high-speed crashes on its elevated sections, and PA-28 along the Allegheny River carries heavy industrial and commuter traffic with limited shoulder space. Pittsburgh's hillside neighborhood streets, with their steep grades and blind curves, add a distinct category of low-speed but serious pedestrian and cyclist collisions.

Filing suit: venue and jurisdiction for Pittsburgh claims

Pittsburgh is the seat of Allegheny County, and injury lawsuits are filed in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, the 5th Judicial District, at the courthouse on Grant Street downtown. Venue under Pa.R.C.P. 1006 and 2179 typically follows where the crash occurred or where the defendant resides or does business, which matters given how many regional trucking and delivery companies operate through Pittsburgh's industrial corridors. Allegheny County processes eligible injury claims through compulsory arbitration under 42 Pa. C.S. § 7361 before a jury trial is available on appeal. The two-year statute of limitations under 42 Pa. C.S. § 5524 applies without exception for delayed symptom onset, and claims against Port Authority (Pittsburgh Regional Transit) buses or the City of Pittsburgh fall under 42 Pa. C.S. §§ 8541–8542, requiring notice within six months under 42 Pa. C.S. § 5522.

Emergency care and medical records in Pittsburgh

UPMC Presbyterian, located in Oakland, is the region's leading Level I trauma center and receives the most severely injured patients from crashes throughout the city and surrounding Allegheny County. Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side also operates a designated Level I trauma program and serves as a primary receiving facility for northern Pittsburgh and the tunnels corridor. We obtain trauma activation notes and EMS records from both systems early in a case, since Pittsburgh's tunnel and bridge collisions often involve complex mechanism-of-injury questions that these initial records help establish before an insurer has a chance to minimize them.

Talk with a lawyer about your Pittsburgh case

Pittsburgh's bridges and tunnels don't leave much room for error, and when a crash happens here, the injuries are often serious. Attorney Quinlan has represented injured clients across Allegheny County and understands how local arbitrators and juries evaluate cases arising from the Parkway, the tunnels, and the city's neighborhood streets. Call before you accept anything from an adjuster — the consultation is free.

Pittsburgh Practice Areas

Statewide practice-area guides

Broader Pennsylvania guides on each type of case we handle in Pittsburgh.

Corridors, courts & trauma centers near Pittsburgh

Deep-local guides for the highways, courthouse, and trauma care that matter to Pittsburgh injury claims.

Serving Pittsburgh from our Camp Hill office

Consultations for Pittsburgh injury claims are free, and we travel to clients who cannot travel to us.

Quinlan Law Group

3425 Simpson Ferry Rd #100
Camp Hill, PA 17011
(717) 724-7503
intake@paaccidentandinjuryattorney.com

Available 24/7 for new injury cases

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Where Allegheny County cases are filed

529 Allegheny County Courthouse
436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-350-3784

Nearby communities we serve

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