There are many different types of civil lawsuits that are filed in the state of Pennsylvania each day. There are several reasons these lawsuits are filed. A fair amount of those lawsuits filed are personal injury or wrongful death actions.

Most often these lawsuits are an attempt to recover financial compensation for an injury or death that was due to another person’s negligence. Sometimes however, they are a way to hold a negligent party responsible legally when criminal charges are not viable.

It used to be that the only way people would try to receive financial compensation was through a civil lawsuit. Within the last few years however, that has changed. In 2010, throughout the state, a total of 140,764 civil cases were filed for a variety of reasons, including personal injury and wrongful death. This is down 21 percent, or 37,320, from the number of civil lawsuits filed in 2007.

There are of course several reasons for the decline. One is a rule that took effect in 2002, the purpose of which was to keep frivolous cases from being filed. Another reason is the expense of trials. Personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits often necessitate the use of expert witnesses. Depending on the witness, they may charge up to $700 an hour.

This is not to say that plaintiffs are not seeking justice. Instead, plaintiffs are turning to processes like mediation to resolve their issues. Under this model, a neutral mediator works with both sides to try to reach a solution to the disagreement. If, for whatever reason the process fails, court is always an option.

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Civil suits decline in state, as more are choosing mediators,” Bobby Kerlik, Feb. 6, 2012