Wrongful Death and Survival Claims
When mesothelioma has already taken a family member, the claim moves to the estate. Pennsylvania allows two overlapping actions: a wrongful death claim for the losses the surviving spouse, children, or parents suffered, and a survival action for what the decedent lost — pain, suffering, and lost earnings before death. The deadline is two years from the date of death. A personal representative or executor must be appointed, which is why these cases often surface during a Cumberland County probate or estate matter at the courthouse on High Street. Death certificates, hospice and hospital records, and the same work-history proof used in a living claim all go into the file. Old employment records, pension paperwork, and union books left in a basement are frequently the most valuable documents a family still has.
Call (717) 459-7853