Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Have Been Recovered for Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Victims
In a city as large and dynamic as Philadelphia, life is complex. The same is true for the events that lead to a wrongful death. A fatal accident on the Schuylkill Expressway can involve multiple vehicles. A medical error at a world-renowned teaching hospital can be buried in thousands of pages of records. A construction site death can involve a dozen different subcontractors.
Philadelphia is a city of world-class institutions and crushing, everyday risks. We are home to some of the most advanced medical and research hospitals on the planet. We are also home to the Roosevelt Boulevard, consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous roads in the nation. This is the central challenge of a wrongful death case in Philadelphia: the victims are often harmed by the very systems and infrastructure that define our city.
A tragedy here is rarely simple. It requires a law firm that understands how to navigate the city’s complex systems of power, from its sprawling healthcare networks to its powerful corporate entities. To win justice in this environment, you need a wrongful death lawyer with the resources and experience to handle this complexity. The Killino Firm is a national law firm right here in Philadelphia with the power to take on the largest corporate defendants and the most complicated cases.
A wrongful death lawsuit is a search for truth. In a complex urban case, that means untangling a web of potential negligence to find the responsible parties. Was it the distracted rideshare driver, the trucking company that hired him, the city for a poorly designed intersection, or all three? Our job is to find every party that contributed to the loss and hold them accountable under Pennsylvania law.
The Roosevelt Boulevard, I-95, and I-76 are the sites of countless preventable tragedies. The sheer volume of traffic on I-76 (the Schuylkill) or the mix of commercial trucks and commuter cars on I-95 creates a high-risk environment. A fatal accident here is rarely just two drivers. It often involves a complex mix of defendants.
We have the resources to investigate multi-vehicle pileups, accidents involving SEPTA vehicles, and crashes caused by rideshare drivers. We see cases involving Amazon delivery vans racing to meet quotas, SEPTA buses with non-functioning internal cameras, and rideshare (Uber/Lyft) drivers whose app-based distractions are a key factor in the crash. Add to this the constant state of construction and poorly marked work zones, and you may have a case against not only the drivers but also the logistics companies, the rideshare corporation, and the private construction contractors responsible for traffic control.
Philadelphia is a hub for “meds and eds,” but this also means medical negligence cases can be incredibly complex. When medical negligence occurs at a major Philadelphia teaching hospital like HUP, Jefferson, or Temple, the case is immediately complex. These are not simple “slip of the knife” errors. Often, a fatal mistake is the result of a system’s failure: a breakdown in communication between shifts at a Level I trauma center, a non-standard protocol in a specialized oncology unit, or a failure to properly supervise residents and fellows.
Furthermore, these institutions are defended by some of the most powerful and well-funded insurance carriers and defense law firms in the country. They will argue that the patient was already critically ill or that the death was a “known complication.” To win, we must do more than just second-guess a doctor. We must meticulously deconstruct the entire chain of care, using our national network of elite medical experts to pinpoint the exact moment the standard of care was breached and prove how that breach led directly to the death.
With constant development, construction sites are a major source of danger. We investigate falls, equipment failures, and trench collapses to determine if a third party, like a general contractor or equipment manufacturer, can be held liable.
A wrongful death case in Philadelphia isn’t just complex because of the facts—it’s complex because of the defendants. When a life is lost, the responsible party is often not an individual but a powerful corporation or even a government-affiliated entity, all of whom have deep pockets and aggressive legal teams.
The personal representative of the estate is the only party who can file a wrongful death lawsuit. Our lawyers guide the “executor” or a family-appointed “administrator” through the process with the Philadelphia County Register of Wills, ensuring all legal requirements are met to pursue the case.
Our goal is to secure the financial future for families left behind. We pursue both a Survival Action for the victim’s suffering and a Wrongful Death Claim for the family’s immense losses. In a major city, this often involves hiring forensic economists to project the lost lifetime earnings of high-income professionals, ensuring the compensation reflects the true scale of the financial devastation. This compensation is vital to cover not just funeral expenses, but decades of lost wages, lost benefits and retirement, and the profound loss of guidance and companionship.
The events that lead to a wrongful death claim often begin with a catastrophic injury and a desperate fight for life at one of Philadelphia’s elite trauma centers. These hospitals are specially equipped to handle the most severe and life-threatening medical emergencies.
Losing a loved one is an isolating and devastating experience. You do not have to walk this path alone. Here are some of the best local and national resources that can provide support and community.
Key Takeaways for a Philadelphia Wrongful Death Claim
There are absolutely no upfront costs to hire our firm. We handle all wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis. This means we advance all the significant costs required to build and litigate your case—from hiring the best experts to court filing fees. You will never receive a bill from us. Our fee is a percentage of the financial recovery we win for you. If we do not win, you owe us nothing.
Absolutely not, until you have spoken with an experienced wrongful death attorney. Early settlement offers are a common tactic used by insurance companies. They want to pay you as little as possible and get you to sign away your rights before you know the true value of your claim. These initial offers are almost always far less than what your family is legally entitled to.
The personal representative is the one person legally authorized to act on behalf of the estate, including filing a lawsuit. If your loved one had a will, the named executor is that person. If not, we can help you or another close family member petition the Register of Wills in Philadelphia County to be appointed as the administrator of the estate. It’s a legal process that we can guide you through.
Yes. You do not need to have all the answers or proof of negligence to call a lawyer. Your feeling that something isn’t right is enough. Our job is to conduct a thorough investigation to find out what happened. We have the resources to get the records, consult with experts, and determine if a case exists. The initial consultation is always free and confidential.
We understand this completely. No amount of money can ever replace the person you lost. The law does not pretend that it can. Instead, the legal system uses financial compensation as the only tool it has to provide a measure of justice and, more practically, to provide for the future of the family that has been left behind. It is about recovering the lost income, the lost support, and recognizing the value of the lost relationship to provide your family with the security you need to move forward.
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