Serving Pennsylvania and Based in Pittsburgh:

45+ Years of Helping Clients Plan for Their Futures in Armstrong, Allegheny, Beaver, Washington, Butler, Westmoreland Counties

If you are looking for a Pennsylvania Mental Patient Death Lawyer or are looking for an attorney for a victim killed by a mentally ill person, then you should contact Herb & Winters Law today to schedule your consultation so that you can learn more about your families potential legal rights. 

Our law firm serves all areas of Pennsylvania for wrongful death cases caused by a mental patient’s suicide, third-parties killed by a mental illy person, and the killing of a mental health worker by a mental health patient. Every potential case is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Understandably, these type of cases are emotionally charged, and you will want an experienced attorney by your side to guide you through this process. 

Understanding Who Can Sue for Mental Patient Death or Death Caused by Mental Patient:

Mental health professionals and institutions are designed to properly diagnose, treat, and protect mental patients from harm to others and even the patient themselves. 

If a mental patient died while in inpatient treatment (by suicide or harmed by someone else), then the family of the victim should promptly contact one of Herb & Winters Law’s Pittsburgh Mental Patient Death Attorneys so that you can learn about your legal rights and options against those who are responsible. 

If a mental patient was improperly released from inpatient treatment or failed to properly commit a mental patient to involuntary treatment or even failed to properly extend the time of the commitment for the mental patient (and subsequently the mental patient committed suicide), then you should contact our Pennsylvania Mental Patient Death Lawyers to determine whether you may have a legal claim against the health providers. 

If a loved one has been seriously injured or even killed by a mentally ill person (regardless of whether they were a mental health inpatient or a mental health outpatient, depending upon the circumstances), the mentally ill person is not the only person who could be sued, but treating mental health professionals, hospitals, and other mental health institutions could potentially be liable as well. Indeed, treating mental health professionals, hospitals, and other mental health institutions may owe legal duties to third-parties to protect them from dangerous mentally ill persons (and can be found liable for failing to protect those persons properly). Depending upon the circumstances, the duty to protect by a mental health professional, hospitals, and other mental health institutions could be satisfied by: (a) attempting to properly involuntarily commit the mental health patient; and/or (b) by warning others of this potential harm (and the sufficiency of the warning and the persons notified will depend upon the circumstances). What is sufficient under the circumstances to protect third-parties is determined on a case-by-case basis. 

If your loved one was a mental health worker who was killed, then you will want to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys. 

Under Pennsylvania law, a deceased person cannot sue rather their estate must sue. Our law firm can assist in opening up an estate (and getting a personal representative or administrator appointed) as well. The personal administrative/administrator is the person who makes all legal decisions on behalf of the Estate. As a result, this would be one of the things that we help families address (when we take on their wrongful death cases). 

Call our firm today at (412) 533-4821 to learn how our Pittsburgh Mental Health Death lawyers can support your goals. 

Legal Guidance for Pennsylvania Mental Health Death Cases: 

Should after the consultation, you and our law firm decide to enter into a fee agreement, our attorneys will help you understand what the next steps in the process will be. We will prepare you for what to expect each step of the way and how the litigation process will proceed. 

Advocating for Our Clients for Over 45 Years

For over 45 years, Herb & Winters Law has provided personalized and trusted legal guidance for the legal matters that impact our community most. Our firm takes the time to explain your options, answer questions, and walk you through the process step by step, so you have a firm grasp on your situation and can make the most informed decisions possible. 

To schedule a consultation, call us at (412) 533-4821 or reach out online. Our firm is standing by to offer personalized legal guidance.