Police Incidents and Wrongful Death
Police officers and other law enforcement officials are charged with performing some of the most dangerous and most important work that is done by any members of modern society. They expect to encounter armed criminals and situations that are highly charged with the risk of serious injury or even death, all while serving the primary purpose of protecting the safety of the public and its property. It is a high stress occupation, and in the heat of the moment it can be difficult to make the right decisions and to take the appropriate actions.
Occasionally, these police mistakes result in the tragic death of an innocent person due to misjudgment and acts of lethal force. As the grieving family attempting to cope with the unexpected loss of your loved one, it may be daunting but necessary to consider the prospect of filing a legal action for wrongful death. To learn more about your legal rights, contact the Pennsylvania wrongful death lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511.
Police Incident Fatalities
In certain situations, police officers are inclined to and trained to respond with immediately decisive deadly force. For example, if a suspect’s weapon is drawn, the policepersons on the scene may have no choice but to fire their own weapons. This has prompted the phenomenon known as “suicide by cop”, in which an individual relies upon this response to enable his or her own death. But while in some instances this force may be justifiable, in others it simply is not. Moreover, there are incidents in which a police officer’s negligence or recklessness results in a person’s wrongful death.
It may be appropriate to consider a lawsuit if the following appear to have been involved:
- Dangerous driving of a police vehicle
- Failure to identify one’s self as a police officer
- Firing a weapon at an unarmed individual
- Racial profiling and improper identification of a suspect
Contact Us
It is imperative that the police force is allowed to do its job without the constant fear of litigation, but it is equally important that police officers act in a manner that does not needlessly endanger the life and safety of the public. Contact the Pennsylvania wrongful death lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511 if your loved one has been the victim of improper police action.