Pennsylvania,Family,Awarded,10 law Pennsylvania Family Awarded $109 Million in Wrongful Death C
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In an unprecedented judgment in Westmoreland County,Pennsylvania, a local family was awarded $109 million in a wrongful deathaccident case that killed 39 year old Carrie Goretzka. The mother of two was tragicallykilled in June of 2009 after a spliced power line fell onto her, causingserious burns and electrocution. After a three day fight for her life in alocal hospital, she was pronounced dead, leaving behind her husband Michael andtwo young daughters, ages 4 and 2.The downed power line was owned by the West Penn PowerCompany, which was sued by the Goretzka family, who argued that the workers whowere operating on the line at the time of the accident were improperly trainedand unable to safely handle the situation. Carrie had reportedly made her wayinto her front yard to make a cell phone call after seeing a tree catch fire asa result of an overheated line that cut power to her house. While standing inthe yard, the line fell on her, inflicting fatal damage while her daughters andmother in law watched from inside the house.The trail lasted for three weeks, though only 90 minuteswere needed for the jurors to reach a conclusion. Emotion was clearly visiblefrom the jurors, many of whom even hugged Carries husband as they left thecourtroom. Representatives from West Penn Power tried to argue that the womanput herself in harms way by standing underneath the damaged power line, thoughthe familys attorney countered that it is was deeply offensive andreprehensible for the power company to try to place the blame on the victim ofthe accident.The ruling, the largest in county history, which also included$61 million in punitive damages on top of the $109 million, was said torepresent a message to the power company that it was not acceptable to putemployees to work without adequate training. When dealing with something thathas such a strong potential to inflict damages when mishandled, it is essentiallyimportant to employ workers who have the know-how to avoid danger. At this timeit is unclear if West Penn Power will appeal the ruling.For families like the Goretzkas who have lost a familymember as a result of the negligence of others, dealing with the aftermath canbe an impossible task. On top of the emotional pain inflicted from this loss oflife, there is also a substantial financial impact, which can often be outsidethe familys ability to afford without help. Fortunately, there are legalprotections in place to get what they need. Through the help of an experienced wrongful death lawyer, compensationcan be recovered to help families back onto their feet after a tragic accident.No amount of compensation can cover the loss of a family member, but thefinancial assistance, like the sum awarded to the Goretzka family can be thedifference between life long suffering and the chance to continue on into thefuture.
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