Wrongful Death and Suicide

Written by Law Shopper on Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
The passing of a loved one is never easy to bear, even if old age or a long bout of ill health have planted the idea that it is something inevitable. Tremendous grief and a not insignificant combination of financial expense and lost wages are commonly experienced complications of these difficult events and can greatly interfere with a survivor’s ability to cope with the aftermath. In the case of an accidental death, the shock of the sudden and unexpected loss is often deeply troubling.

Depending upon the specific details it may be appropriate to consider pursuing a legal action against the parties responsible for the accident or act of violence that resulted in your loved one’s death. For the victim’s family, this may offer an opportunity to hold someone accountable when criminal charges are not available or a criminal trial produces an undesirable verdict. It also may be the only form of resolution that can bring any kind of closure in the midst of such unexplainable tragedy.

Shirked Responsibility

If accidental death is painful, then there are no words that can capture the impact that a loved one’s decision to take his or her own life can have. Suicide is likely to raise numerous questions and complicated emotional responses because it is an action that is almost impossible to understand unless you possess a close personal familiarity or clinical knowledge of it. In many instances, the people who share the deepest bonds with a suicidal individual may not have any awareness that such a decision looms as a possibility. 

This is partly because people mask their own emotions so that they can protect those about whom they care. And it is partly because they are unwilling to expose such a deeply painful aspect of their interior identity. Professional counselors, however, may be privy to suicidal thoughts and the failure to intervene may constitute a sufficiently egregious neglect of duty to merit a legal action for wrongful death. 

The following persons or entities may bear some responsibility for your loved one’s suicide in a legal action:

            Therapist             Pharmaceutical company             Psychiatrist who fails to consider the implications of a prescription

There is no value in just seeking to place the blame for your loss. But when the violation of accepted standards and practices prevented the deceased from gaining the help that they needed or drove them to commit suicide, then filing suit may very well be the best way to see justice served.

No Easy Answers

There is no simple statement or detail that will undo the damage done. But the Pennsylvania wrongful death lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., can help you to understand the legal rights and options that you have in this extraordinarily difficult time.

By: Joseph Devine

About the Author:
Joseph Devine



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