Preserving evidence in the aftermath of a wrongful death claim can be challenging. This is an emotional process. We strongly encourage you to work closely with your Philadelphia wrongful death attorney throughout every aspect of this process. Your attorney will certainly sympathize with your loss, but they may have an easier time than you or your family members when it comes to gathering and preserving the evidence needed to prove liability.
Much of the evidence needed to determine liability will be gathered at the scene of the incident. This could include photographs or video surveillance from the area, statements from eyewitnesses, as well as any police or accident reports related to the incident. Additionally, items such as clothing the deceased may have been wearing at the time should be kept and preserved, which is something your attorney will work with officials to obtain.
There are various types of documents that need to be obtained and preserved after an incident like this. Many of these documents will help determine how much compensation the at-fault party will need to pay the plaintiffs. This includes, but is not limited to, any medical bills related to the incident, pay stubs, bank reports, and tax returns of the deceased, proof of household services the disease is no longer able to help with, and more.
The investigation into death will likely continue for weeks or months after the incident occurs. An attorney will work closely with medical professionals to obtain autopsy reports on your behalf. The attorney will handle all of these phone calls so you can focus on spending time with your family and processing your pain and grief.