Incidents prompting wrongful death lawsuits can take place at virtually any location and involve individuals of all walks of life. Those who unexpectedly die, in Pittsburgh and beyond, as a result of negligent behavior of another, do not need to be engaging in a risky behavior for this to occur. Even the death of an elderly person, many of whom are not very mobile, can lead to such a civil lawsuit. This is illustrated in a lawsuit that was recently filed in another state.

The lawsuit is one family's response to the death of their loved one. The woman, who was 94-years-old, was a resident at an assisted living facility. There, she reportedly used a wheelchair to get around. She apparently died as a result of the injuries she suffered when her wheelchair was allowed to roll down a hill with her in it. It crashed into a ditch that was full of water.

Though the elderly woman survived the initial crash, she contracted aspiration pneumonia and died several days later.

At the time the incident transpired, the facility was in the middle of a fire drill. Accordingly, an employee of the facility had wheeled the woman out of the building. Unfortunately, she was apparently not positioned in a safe location which allowed the accident to occur.

The amount of damages the woman's loved ones are seeking as a result of the nursing home negligence is not known. It is highly likely however that in addition to financial compensation, they are focused on the financial punishment, a successful lawsuit such as this one, would levy against the assisted living facility. They are likely also seeking a sense of closure in the tragic matter.

Source: WAFF, "Wrongful death lawsuit filed following fatal wheelchair accident," Amanda Jarrett, May 9, 2013