Valentino, M., Aplt. v. Phila. Triathlon, LLC

209 A.3d 941

Opinion

PER CURIAM

AND NOW , this 18th day of June, 2019, the Court being evenly divided, the Order of the Superior Court is AFFIRMED .

Justice Wecht did not participate in the consideration or decision of this matter.

OPINION IN SUPPORT OF AFFIRMANCE

JUSTICE BAER

This Court granted allocatur to determine whether an express assumption of the risk agreement executed by triathlon participant Derek Valentino ("Decedent") serves as a defense to a wrongful death claim commenced against the Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC ("Triathlon") by Decedent's heir ("Appellant"), who was not a signatory to the agreement. 1 The Superior Court held that Decedent's express assumption of the risks inherent in participation in the sporting event eliminated Triathlon's duty of care, thereby rendering Triathlon's conduct non-tortious. Absent tortious activity, the Superior Court concluded that the wrongful death claim brought by Decedent's heir could not succeed as a matter of law because the Wrongful Death Act premises recovery upon "the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another." 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301. Accordingly, the Superior Court affirmed the trial court's order granting summary judgment in favor of Triathlon. For the reasons set forth herein, we would affirm the judgment of the Superior Court and adopt its astute legal analysis.

Preliminarily and as explained in more detail infra , we respectfully note that the Opinions in Support of Reversal (both hereinafter collectively referred to as "OISR") ignore the issue for which we granted allocatur and, instead, attempt to reverse the judgment of the Superior Court on grounds not encompassed by this appeal. Specifically, the OISR would sua sponte hold that express assumption of the risk agreements are void and unenforceable in violation of public policy in cases involving claims brought pursuant to the Wrongful Death Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301. The OISR reaches this conclusion notwithstanding that no party to this appeal challenges the validity of the agreement on public policy grounds or otherwise. We decline to engage in this judicial overreaching and proceed to address the merits of the issue before us.

We begin with a brief recitation of the facts. In 2010, Triathlon organized a multi-sport-event, comprised of swimming in the Schuylkill River, cycling for more than fifteen miles, and running for more than three miles. To compete in the event, each participant was required to register, pay a fee, and execute electronically a liability waiver agreement that included an assumption of the risk provision ("Agreement"). On January 24, 2010, Decedent complied with these requisites by electronically registering as a participant in the triathlon and executing the Agreement.

The executed Agreement stated that Decedent understood "the physical and mental rigors associated with triathlon," and "that running, bicycling, [and] swimming ... are inherently dangerous and represent an extreme test of a person's physical and mental limits." Appellee's Motion for Summary Judgment Ex. G, dated Aug. 5, 2013. The Agreement further acknowledged Decedent's understanding that "participation involves risks and dangers which include, without limitation, the potential for serious bodily injury, permanent disability, paralysis and death ... and other undefined harm or damage which may not be readily foreseeable[.]" Id. The Agreement provided that Decedent was aware "that these Risks may be caused in whole or in part by [his] own actions or inactions, the actions or inactions of others participating in the Event, or the acts, inaction or negligence of [the Triathlon]." Id.

Germane to this appeal, the Agreement stated that Decedent " expressly assume[d] all such Risks and responsibility for any damages, liabilities, losses or expenses " resulting from his participation in the event. Id. (emphasis added). The Agreement also included a provision stating that Decedent further agreed that if he or anyone on his behalf "makes a claim of Liability against any of the Released Parties, [Decedent] will indemnify, defend and hold harmless each of the Released Parties from any such Liability which any [sic] may be incurred as the result of such claim." Id. 2

The triathlon took place on June 26, 2010. At approximately 8:30 a.m., Decedent entered the Schuylkill River to begin the first segment of the race. Tragically, Decedent never completed the swimming portion of the competition. Divers retrieved Decedent's body from the river the next day after he presumably drowned while participating in the triathlon. On April 12, 2012, Decedent's widow, Michele Valentino, both in her own right and as administratrix of her husband's estate (referred to as "Appellant" herein), asserted wrongful death and survival claims against various defendants, including Triathlon. Only the wrongful death claim is at issue in this appeal. Appellant subsequently amended her complaint and the defendants filed preliminary objections. On July 27, 2012, the trial court sustained the defendants' preliminary objections and struck all references in the complaint that referred to outrageous acts, gross negligence, recklessness, and punitive damages, holding that these averments were legally insufficient as the facts alleged demonstrated only ordinary negligence. The trial court further struck particular paragraphs of the amended complaint on grounds that they lacked specificity.

In December of 2012, following the various defendants' filing of an answer and new matter, the defendants moved for summary judgment, asserting the Agreement as an affirmative defense. The trial court denied summary judgment, finding that questions of material fact remained regarding the existence of the Agreement. Appellant thereafter stipulated to the dismissal of all defendants except Triathlon. Once discovery was completed, Triathlon again moved for summary judgment. Concluding that the evidence at that point in the proceedings demonstrated that the Agreement was among Decedent's possessions and was valid and enforceable, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Triathlon.

Prior to the trial court issuing its Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) opinion explaining its rationale for granting summary judgment in favor of Triathlon, the Superior Court, in an unrelated matter, decided the case of Pisano v. Extendicare Homes, Inc. , 77 A.3d 651 (Pa. Super. 2013), which held that a non-signatory wrongful death claimant was not bound by an arbitration agreement signed by a decedent. 3 Id. at 663 . On April 14, 2012, shortly after Pisano was decided, the trial court issued its Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) opinion in this matter and urged the Superior Court to vacate its order granting summary judgment in favor of Triathlon based on that decision.

Relying upon Pisano , Appellant argued to the Superior Court that Decedent's Agreement with Triathlon does not apply to her as a non-signatory and, thus, has no preclusive effect upon her wrongful death claims asserted against Triathlon. In response, Triathlon contended that Decedent's assumption of the risks inherent in participation in the event relieved its duty of care, thereby rendering Triathlon's conduct non-tortious as a matter of law. The Triathlon maintained that, absent tortious activity, a wrongful death claim could not succeed because the Wrongful Death Act premises recovery upon "the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another." 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301.

Initially, on December 30, 2015, a divided panel of the Superior Court reversed the trial court's order in part, holding that under Pisano, Decedent's Agreement was not applicable to Appellant because she was not a signatory to the contract. The Superior Court thereafter granted en banc argument and withdrew its panel decision.

On November 15, 2016, an en banc Superior Court affirmed the trial court's order granting Triathlon summary judgment in a published decision. Valentino v. Phila. Triathlon, LLC , 150 A.3d 483 (Pa. Super. 2016). Preliminarily, the Superior Court acknowledged that because a wrongful death claim is not derivative of a decedent's cause of action, "a decedent may not compromise or diminish a wrongful death claimant's right of action without consent." Id. at 493 . Nevertheless, the Superior Court went on to hold that "a third-party wrongful death claimant is subject to substantive defenses supported by the decedent's actions or agreements where offered to relieve the defendant, either wholly or partially, from liability by showing that the defendant's actions were not tortious." Id.

The Superior Court found that the available substantive defense here was Decedent's contractual assumption of the risks inherent in participation in the triathlon.

The assumption of the risk doctrine, set forth in Section 496A of the Restatement Second of Torts, provides that "[a] plaintiff who voluntarily assumes a risk of harm arising from the negligent or reckless conduct of the defendant cannot recover for such harm." Restatement Second of Torts, § 496A. Comment c(1) to Section 496A provides that the express assumption of the risk "means that the plaintiff has given his express consent to relieve the defendant of an obligation to exercise care for his protection, and agrees to take his chances as to injury from a known or possible risk." Id. at cmt. c(1). Notably, the Comment goes on to state that "[t]he result is that the defendant, who would otherwise be under a duty to exercise such care, is relieved of that responsibility, and is no longer under any duty to protect the plaintiff." Id.

Pennsylvania case law illustrates that one's assumption of the risks inherent in a particular activity eliminates the defendant's duty of care. See Hughes v. Seven Springs Farm Inc., 563 Pa. 501 , 762 A.2d 339 , 343 (2000) (explaining that under Section 496A of the Restatement Second of Torts, where the plaintiff assumes the risk of harm, the defendant is under no duty to protect the plaintiff from such risks); Carrender v. Fitterer , 503 Pa. 178 , 469 A.2d 120 , 125 (1983) (explaining that one's assumption of the risk of injury is simply another way of expressing the lack of duty on the part of the defendant to protect against such risks); Thompson v. Ginkel , 95 A.3d 900 , 906 (Pa. Super. 2014) (citation omitted) (acknowledging that the assumption of the risk doctrine is a function of the duty analysis required in all negligence actions).

Relying on this substantive tort law, the Superior Court in the instant case held that by knowingly and voluntarily executing a valid agreement expressly assuming the risks inherent in participating in the sporting event, Decedent extinguished Triathlon's duty of care, thereby rendering its conduct not tortious. Valentino , 150 A.3d at 493 . 4 As noted, the intermediate appellate court concluded that absent tortious conduct, Appellant's wrongful death claim could not survive as a matter of law; thus, the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment in favor of Triathlon. Id.

The Superior Court in the instant case readily distinguished Pisano on the ground that it did not involve an agreement to assume all risks inherent in a particular activity, which would serve to eliminate the duty element of the wrongful death action against the alleged tortfeasor. Acknowledging Pisano's principle that a third party's right of action in a wrongful death claim is an independent statutory claim of a decedent's heirs and is not derivative of a decedent's right of action, the Superior Court emphasized that "a wrongful death claim still requires a tortious injury to succeed." Valentino , 150 A.3d at 493 . The Superior Court cogently explained that Pisano does not undermine the fundamental principle that a statutory claimant in a wrongful death action has the burden of proving that the defendant's tortious conduct caused the decedent's death. It opined that this cannot occur where the decedent assumed all risks inherent in participating in the activity and thereby abrogated any duty the putative tortfeasor may have had. Id.

Similarly, the Superior Court distinguished this Court's decision in Buttermore v. Aliquippa Hospital , 522 Pa. 325 , 561 A.2d 733 (1989), upon which Appellant had relied. Valentino , 150 A.3d at 495 . In that case, James Buttermore was injured in an automobile accident and signed a release in settlement of his claim against the tortfeasors for the sum of $25,000, agreeing to release all persons from liability. Buttermore , 561 A.2d at 734 . The issue on appeal to this Court was whether Buttermore's wife, who was not a signatory to the settlement agreement, had an independent right to sue the tortfeasors for loss of consortium. Id. at 735. Acknowledging that the release applied to all tortfeasors, including the defendants, this Court held that one could not bargain away the rights of others who were not a party to the contract. Id. Because Buttermore's wife was not a party to her husband's settlement agreement and because she sought to sue in her own right for loss of consortium, we held that she had an independent cause of action, unaffected by her husband's settlement agreement. Id. at 736.

The Superior Court below distinguished Buttermore , finding that unlike the express assumption of the risk agreement here, the settlement agreement in Buttermore did not extinguish a requisite element of the wife's loss of consortium claim. Valentino , 150 A.3d at 496 . Stated differently, unlike the express assumption of the risk agreement in the instant case, nothing in the settlement agreement in Buttermore precluded the finding that the defendants acted tortiously.

We agree with the Superior Court's application of well-settled tort law and its conclusion that the assumption of the risk agreement entered into between Decedent and the Triathlon operates much differently than the settlement agreement in Buttermore and the arbitration agreement in Pisano , as the latter agreements do not preclude a finding that the defendant acted tortiously. We further agree with the intermediate appellate court that a decedent's valid assumption of the risk agreement does not negate his heir's right to commence a wrongful death lawsuit, but it "can support a defense asserting that the alleged tortfeasor owed no duty to the decedent." Valentino , 150 A.3d at 494 .

Accordingly, once Decedent extinguished Triathlon's duty of care by expressly assuming all risks in the inherently dangerous sporting event, his heir could not resurrect that duty of care after his death. To do so would afford a decedent's heirs more rights than those possessed by a decedent while alive. Such a result not only defies logic, but also the statutory requisites for a wrongful death claim. As there is no genuine issue of material fact and it is clear that Triathlon is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, we would affirm the judgment of the Superior Court, which affirmed the trial court order granting summary judgment in Triathlon's favor. See Pa.R.C.P. 1035.2 (providing that summary judgment is appropriate only when there is no genuine issue as to any material fact or when a party which will bear the burden of proof has failed to present evidence sufficient to present the issue to the jury).

As noted, regarding the OISR's sua sponte public policy declaration, our primary objection is that the issue of whether the express assumption of the risk agreement violates public policy is not properly before the Court; thus, the grant of relief on this claim cannot serve as a means to disturb the judgment of the Superior Court. See Steiner v. Markel , 600 Pa. 515 , 968 A.2d 1253 , 1256 (2009) (holding that an appellate court may not reverse a judgment on a basis that was not properly raised and preserved by the parties).

Additionally, we observe that the OISR declares the express assumption of the risk agreement violative of the public policy set forth in the Wrongful Death Act, i.e. , to compensate family members of victims of tortious conduct, without any explanation as to how tortious conduct can exist in the absence of a duty of care. Further, the OISR seeks to invalidate not all express assumption of the risk contracts, but only those relating to wrongful death claims, based upon the public policy set forth in the Wrongful Death Act. Accordingly, under the OISR's reasoning, express assumption of the risk agreements would generally be valid to preclude a participant's ordinary negligence claims against the purveyor of an inherently dangerous sport or activity, but would be invalid where a participant's injuries were fatal and his heirs sought recovery for wrongful death. Thus, a participant who suffered grievous non-fatal injury would have no redress, but his family would have redress if the participant succumbed to his injuries.

This result is untenable as there is no evidence to suggest that it is the public policy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to elevate the rights of victims' heirs over those of the victims themselves or to immunize wrongful death claims from ordinary and readily available defenses. In fact, not only did the General Assembly premise recovery in wrongful death on the precise tortious conduct that caused the decedent's fatal injuries, but directed expressly that a wrongful death action "may be brought, under procedures prescribed by general rules." 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301(a). There is simply no provision in the Wrongful Death Act that renders an heir's entitlement to relief absolute. Had the Legislature intended that mandate, it would have so directed.

Moreover, it is not the role of this Court to create the public policy of this Commonwealth. Instead, "public policy is to be ascertained by reference to the laws and legal precedents and not from general considerations of supposed public interest." Burstein v. Prudential Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. , 570 Pa. 177 , 809 A.2d 204 , 207 (2002) (quoting Eichelman v. Nationwide Ins. Co., 551 Pa. 558 , 711 A.2d 1006 , 1008 (1998) ). We have held that "only dominant public policy" justifies the invalidation of a contract and in the "absence of a plain indication of that policy through long governmental practice or statutory enactments, or violations of obvious ethical or moral standards, the Court should not assume to declare contracts contrary to public policy." Burstein , 809 A.2d at 207 . Significantly, we have acknowledged that in such circumstances, "courts must be content to await legislative action." Id.

The OISR fails to heed this warning. By declaring the public policy of this Commonwealth, untethered to legislative fiat and in a case where the issue is not before us, the OISR comes dangerously close to displacing the legislative process with judicial will. Accordingly, we would affirm the judgment of the Superior Court, which affirmed the order granting summary judgment in favor of the Triathlon. While the facts of this case are most tragic, this Court may not afford relief where the law does not so provide.

Chief Justice Saylor and Justice Todd join this opinion in support of affirmance.

OPINION IN SUPPORT OF REVERSAL

JUSTICE DOUGHERTY

The question before the Court is whether the Superior Court erred when it determined a pre-injury exculpatory waiver signed by a triathlon participant provides a complete defense to claims brought by the participant's non-signatory heirs pursuant to the Wrongful Death Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301. We would find the waiver is unenforceable against the heirs and does not preclude their wrongful death action. We would therefore reverse the Superior Court's decision and remand to the trial court for further proceedings.

In 2010, appellee Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC, organized the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon Sprint (the Triathlon). The Triathlon consisted of three events: (1) a 0.5 mile swim; (2) a 15.7 mile bicycle race; and (3) a 3.1 mile run. The swim portion of the Triathlon took place in the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a participant in the Triathlon, Decedent, Derek Valentino, registered as a participant for the Triathlon and executed a Waiver and Release of Liability (the Waiver) by affixing his electronic signature to an online registration form.

On race day, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Decedent entered the Schuylkill River for the swim portion of the Triathlon, but he did not complete the swim and, on the following day, his body was recovered from the Schuylkill River. There is no dispute Decedent drowned in the river while participating in the Triathlon. See Valentino v. Phila. Ins. Co. , No. 120401417, 2014 WL 4796614 , at *1 (Pa. Com. Pl. Aug. 26, 2014).

Appellant Michele Valentino filed a lawsuit in her individual capacity and as Administratrix of the Estate of Derek Valentino, against several defendants, including appellee, asserting survival claims on Decedent's behalf and wrongful death claims on her own behalf and that of her children. 1 See Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 26-28, 34-36, citing 42 Pa.C.S. § 8302 (Survival Act provides "[a]ll causes of action or proceedings, real or personal, shall survive the death of the plaintiff or of the defendant ..."); Amended Complaint at ¶¶29-33, 37-41, citing 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301(a), (b) (Wrongful Death Act provides spouse, children or parents of decedent can bring action "to recover damages for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another"). 2 In response to preliminary objections, the trial court entered orders striking from the complaint all references to outrageous acts, gross negligence and recklessness. The trial court also struck appellant's claim for punitive damages. Remaining in the case were several allegations of ordinary negligence, specifically, that appellee failed to: make a reasonable inspection of the premises and event course; remove or take measures to prevent dangerous conditions; follow rules, regulations, policies and procedures governing safety standards; properly train the Triathlon's agents, servants and employees with respect to safety rules, regulations, policies and procedures; properly supervise the Triathlon's employees to ensure the Triathlon was conducted in a reasonable and safe manner; properly construct or design a safe event route to avoid dangerous conditions; regulate or control the number of individuals participating in each phase of the race simultaneously; have proper rules, regulations, policies and procedures for the timely recognition and response of event participants in distress and need of rescue; and have adequate safety personnel on hand for each aspect of the event. See id. at ¶ 22(b), (d) & (f) - (l).

Thereafter, appellee filed an answer with new matter, claiming Decedent was sufficiently negligent himself to completely bar appellant's recovery, or alternatively, to reduce appellant's recovery in accordance with the amount of comparative negligence attributed to Decedent. See Answer with New Matter at ¶43, citing Comparative Negligence Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102. In addition, appellee asserted the complete defense of assumption of risk, claiming it owed no duty to Decedent or his survivors based on Decedent's execution of the Waiver. Id. at ¶¶44, 46.

a. Summary Judgment

On September 30, 2013, the trial court granted appellee's motion for summary judgment and dismissed all of appellant's remaining claims with prejudice. On appellant's motion for reconsideration, the court opined summary judgment on the survival action was proper based on the Waiver. Valentino, 2014 WL 4796614 , at *2. The court reversed itself regarding appellant's wrongful death action, and opined that claim should be remanded for further proceedings based on the Superior Court's decision in Pisano v. Extendicare Homes, Inc., 77 A.3d 651 , 663 (Pa. Super. 2013), appeal denied , 624 Pa. 683 , 86 A.3d 233 (Pa. 2014) (resident-decedent's contractual agreement with nursing home to arbitrate all claims was not binding on non-signatory wrongful death claimants). Id. at *3. In recommending the wrongful death action be remanded, the trial court observed "a decedent can contract away his own right to recover in court under a survival action, [but] he cannot similarly alienate the rights of third parties to recover in their own wrongful death actions." Id.

b. Superior Court

A divided en banc panel of the Superior Court subsequently affirmed summary judgment on all claims. Valentino v. Phila. Triathlon, LLC , 150 A.3d 483 (Pa. Super. 2016). 3 The majority reasoned that, for a decedent's heirs to recover damages in a wrongful death action, there must be an underlying tortious act by the defendant. See id. at 492-93 , quoting Kaczorowski v. Kalkosinski, 321 Pa. 438 , 184 A. 663 , 664 (1936) ("... a right to recover must exist in the party injured when he died in order to entitle[ ] those named in the act to sue.... [W]here the deceased would have been barred by contributory negligence, or by the statute of limitations, the parties suing for his death are likewise barred.") (internal citations omitted). The majority further held its own decision in Pisano , which allowed non-signatory wrongful death claimants to file a court action despite their decedent's execution of an arbitration agreement, is limited to the facts of that case. Id. at 493. The majority opined an heir's right to recover for her decedent's wrongful death is dependent upon the existence of a tortious act that caused the death, stating "while a third party's wrongful death claim is not derivative of the decedent's right of action, a wrongful death claim still requires a tortious injury to succeed." Id. Underpinning the en banc majority's analysis was its position that arbitration and settlement agreements "bind[ ] only the parties to the agreement while the [liability waiver] extends to non-signatory third-parties." Id. at 497 n.9. The en banc majority considered the Waiver to be an express assumption of all risks which eliminated any legal duty otherwise owed to anyone by appellee, creating a complete bar to tort liability. 4 Id.

Appellant filed a petition for allowance of appeal and this Court granted review of two questions:

Whether the Superior Court erred when it determined that a waiver of liability form, executed solely by the decedent, and stating the signer assumes all risks of participation in a triathlon, also binds his heirs, thereby precluding them from bringing a wrongful death action?

Whether the defense of assumption of risk should be abolished except in those situations where it is specifically permitted by the Comparative Negligence Act? 5

Valentino v. Phila. Triathlon, LLC , 641 Pa. 515 , 168 A.3d 1283 (2017) ( per curiam ).

Our standard and scope of review on appeal from summary judgment are well-established. "[A]n appellate court may reverse the entry of summary judgment only where it finds that the trial court erred in concluding that the matter presented no genuine issue as to any material fact and that it is clear that the moving party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Phillips v. Cricket Lighters , 576 Pa. 644 , 841 A.2d 1000 , 1004 (2003), citing Pappas v. Asbel , 564 Pa. 407 , 768 A.2d 1089 (2001). In determining whether the lower court erred in granting summary judgment, the standard of review is de novo and the scope of review is plenary. Liss & Marion, P.C. v. Recordex Acquisition Corp. , 603 Pa. 198 , 983 A.2d 652 , 657 (2009), citing LJL Transp., Inc. v. Pilot Air Freight Corp. , 599 Pa. 546 , 962 A.2d 639 , 647 (2009). We consider the parties' arguments with these standards in mind.

II.

Appellant argues the Superior Court erred in determining the Waiver, which was executed solely by Decedent, barred his heirs' wrongful death action. Appellant first notes wrongful death actions are statutorily authorized in Pennsylvania:

(a) General rule. --An action may be brought, under procedures prescribed by general rules, to recover damages for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another if no recovery for the same damages claimed in the wrongful death action was obtained by the injured individual during his lifetime and any prior actions for the same injuries are consolidated with the wrongful death claim so as to avoid a duplicate recovery.

42 Pa.C.S. § 8301(a). Relying on Pennsylvania jurisprudence, appellant argues a wrongful death action is derivative of the victim's fatal injuries, but is nevertheless meant to compensate a decedent's survivors "for the pecuniary loss they have sustained by the denial of future contributions decedent would have made in his or her lifetime." Appellant's Brief at 13-15, quoting Frey v. Pa. Elec. Comp., 414 Pa.Super. 535 , 607 A.2d 796 , 798 (1992), and citing Tulewicz v. Se. Pa. Transp. Auth. , 529 Pa. 588 , 606 A.2d 427 , 431 (1992), Kaczorowski , 184 A. at 664 (wrongful death claim is "derivative" because "it has as its basis the same tortious act which would have supported the injured party's own cause of action").

Appellant relies on Buttermore v. Aliquippa Hospital, 522 Pa. 325 , 561 A.2d 733 (1989), where the tort-victim husband executed a general release and settlement agreement after a car accident which purported to waive recovery by "any and all other persons associations and/or corporations[.]" Appellant's Brief at 15-16, quoting Buttermore , 561 A.2d at 734 . Plaintiff's wife did not sign the release agreement. The Buttermores filed a suit against medical professionals who treated him after the accident, including a claim brought by wife for loss of consortium. See id. at 16. On appeal from summary judgment, this Court ruled husband's claim was barred by the release he executed, but wife's claim was not because she herself had not signed it. Id. , citing Buttermore , 561 A.2d at 736 . Appellant argues the lower courts' ruling the Waiver in this case, which only Decedent signed, bars his heirs' wrongful death claims is in direct contravention of Buttermore . Id. at 17-18, citing Buttermore , 561 A.2d at 735 .

In response, appellee contends summary judgment was properly entered and dismissal of appellant's wrongful death claims should be affirmed. Appellee argues a wrongful death action is derivative of, and dependent upon, a tortious act that results in decedent's death. Appellee's Brief at 13, citing Centofanti v. Pa. R. Co. , 244 Pa. 255 , 90 A. 558 , 561 (1914) (additional citations omitted). Appellee insists the Superior Court correctly determined Decedent's execution of the Waiver meant appellee's conduct was rendered non-tortious in all respects because appellee no longer owed Decedent any duty of care. Id. at 16-17, citing Montagazzi v. Crisci , 994 A.2d 626 , 635 (Pa. Super. 2010) (plaintiff knowingly and voluntarily encountering an obvious and dangerous risk relieves those "who may have otherwise had a duty"); Staub v. Toy Factory, Inc. , 749 A.2d 522 , 526 (Pa. Super. 2000) ( en banc ) ("Our [S]upreme [C]ourt appears to have concluded that in a negligence action, the question whether a litigant has assumed the risk is a question of law as part of the court's duty analysis ....") (additional citations omitted). Appellee also argues Pisano is not applicable here. Appellee contends Pisano determined only the narrow issue of whether a wrongful death plaintiff is bound by an arbitration agreement which she did not sign, and is not relevant to questions regarding the exculpatory Waiver signed by Decedent. See id. at 24.

III.

The Wrongful Death Act (the Act), provides an independent statutory cause of action that belongs to specific claimants, i.e. the surviving spouse, children or parents of the deceased. 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301 (Act provides spouse, children or parents of decedent can bring action "to recover damages for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another"). See Kaczorowski , 184 A. at 665 ("By the statute there is given an explicit and independent right of action to recover the damages peculiarly suffered by the parties named therein."). This statutory claim for wrongful death "is derivative because it has as its basis the same tortious act which would have supported the injured party's own cause of action. Its derivation, however, is from the tortious act and not from the person of the deceased, so that it comes to the parties named in the statute free from personal disabilities arising from the relationship of the injured party and tort-feasor." Id. at 664 (internal citations omitted). Accordingly, Pennsylvania courts recognize that while wrongful death actions seek damages for losses to heirs arising from their relative's wrongful death, the claims are not derivative of - or limited by - the decedent's own rights. See Pisano , 77 A.3d at 660 .

It is clear the General Assembly intended the Act to compensate the decedent's surviving heirs, not the decedent himself, whose own losses are encompassed in a survival action. Compare 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301 (wrongful death) with 42 Pa.C.S. § 8302 (survival); see also Amato v. Bell & Gossett , 116 A.3d 607 , 625 (Pa. Super. 2015), quoting Hatwood v. Hosp. of the Univ. of Pa. , 55 A.3d 1229 , 1235 (Pa. Super. 2012) ("The purpose of the Wrongful Death Statute ... is to compensate the decedent's survivors for the pecuniary losses they have sustained as a result of the decedent's death.... A wrongful death action does not compensate the decedent; it compensates the survivors for damages which they have sustained as a result of the decedent's death.") (additional citations omitted). The Act is thus designed to assure a decedent's heirs may seek compensation "for the loss of pecuniary benefits which [they] would have received from the deceased had death not intervened." Kaczorowski , 184 A. at 665 . Also, the Act is a remedial statute, and as such it must be liberally interpreted to effect its purpose and promote justice. 1 Pa.C.S. § 1928(c) ; Amadio v. Levin , 509 Pa. 199 , 501 A.2d 1085 , 1087 (1985) (wrongful death statute is "remedial in nature and purpose, and as such should be liberally construed to accomplish the objective of the act"); see also O'Rourke v. Commonwealth , 566 Pa. 161 , 778 A.2d 1194 , 1203 (2001) (noting remedial statutes are to be liberally construed to effect objectives).

With these principles and the legislative purpose of the Act in mind, we must determine whether the Waiver provides a complete defense to a wrongful death claim brought by non-signatory heirs. A liability waiver is, at its core, a contract, and must be construed and interpreted in the same manner as other contracts - such as arbitration clauses or settlement agreements and releases - when determining whether it is effective against a non-signatory third party. The Waiver purports to be an exculpatory contract, and such contracts are generally disfavored by the law. See Employers Liability Assur. Corp. v. Greenville Business Men's Ass'n. , 423 Pa. 288 , 224 A.2d 620 , 623 (1966) ("contracts providing for immunity from liability for negligence must be construed strictly since they are not favorites of the law"); see also Soxman v. Goodge , 372 Pa.Super. 343 , 539 A.2d 826 , 828 (1988) ("the law ... recognized that lying behind [exculpatory] contracts is a residuum of public policy which is antagonistic to carte blanche exculpation from liability and thus developed the rule that these provisions would be strictly construed with every intendment against the party seeking their protection"), quoting Phillips Home Furnishings Inc. v. Continental Bank , 231 Pa.Super. 174 , 331 A.2d 840 , 843 (1974). Accordingly, a pre-injury exculpatory agreement is valid only when "it does not contravene public policy, is between parties relating entirely to their private affairs, and where each party is a free bargaining agent so that the contract is not one of adhesion." Chepkevich v. Hidden Valley Resort, L.P. , 607 Pa. 1 , 2 A.3d 1174 , 1177 (2010), citing Topp Copy Prods., Inc. v. Singletary , 533 Pa. 468 , 626 A.2d 98 , 99 (1993). This Court has consistently recognized the exculpatory contract is an agreement that is "intended to diminish legal rights which normally accrue as a result of a given legal relationship or transaction ... [which must be] construed strictly against the party seeking [its] protection." Dilks v. Flohr Chevrolet, Inc. , 411 Pa. 425 , 192 A.2d 682 , 687 (1963), quoting Morton v. Ambridge Borough , 375 Pa. 630 , 101 A.2d 661 , 663 (1954).

Thus, in determining whether the Waiver provides a defense to appellant's wrongful death action, we must liberally apply the remedial Act while we simultaneously construe the Waiver strictly against appellee as the party seeking protection from the contract. We would hold the Superior Court did the opposite in its decision below: the court erroneously gave the Waiver the broadest application possible while disregarding the remedial nature of the Act and the public policy considerations underpinning it. 6

First, we note the Waiver is a contract between Decedent and appellee involving their own private affairs. Chepkevich , 2 A.3d at 1177 . The Waiver includes broad language barring Triathlon participants from filing suit to recover damages for injuries or death "which may arise out of, result from, or relate to my participation in the [Triathlon], including claims for Liability caused in whole or in part by the negligence of" appellees. See Waiver attached as Exhibit A to appellee's Answer and New Matter. However, the Waiver is plainly not an agreement between Triathlon participants' wrongful death heirs and appellee. We emphasize a wrongful death action belongs solely to a decedent's heirs, is intended to compensate them, and does not accrue to the decedent. See Hatwood , 55 A.3d at 1235 , quoting Machado v. Kunkel , 804 A.2d 1238 , 1246 (Pa. Super. 2002) ("Under the wrongful death act the widow or family is entitled, in addition to costs, to compensation for the loss of the contributions decedent would have made ..."). Thus, while a pre-injury exculpatory waiver might indeed be effective to bar a survival claim by a decedent's estate, it is quite another thing to conclude the decedent's agreement acts as a complete defense to statutory claims that are specifically available to his non-signatory heirs. Appellee argues the Waiver provides a complete defense to appellant's wrongful death claim, but in our considered view, allowing the Waiver to have this effect would require us to ignore the purpose of the Act and the public policy concerns it was specifically enacted to protect. 7

Our conclusion is consistent with prior Pennsylvania case law arising from wrongful death actions. As this Court has stated, such lawsuits are meant to compensate the statutory beneficiaries, i.e. the spouse, children or parents of the decedent for the pecuniary losses they sustained as a result of their relative's death. See Tulewicz , 606 A.2d at 431 . Accordingly, our courts have recognized the distinct nature of these claims and have declined to enforce a decedent's own agreements and obligations against his heirs. See Buttermore , 561 A.2d at 736 (release signed by husband barred his own action against hospital but not the independent action of wife, who did not sign release); Pisano , 77 A.3d at 660 , citing Kaczorowski , 184 A. at 664 (wrongful death claim is derived from injury to decedent but it is independent and distinct cause of action; decedent's agreement to arbitrate not binding on non-signatory heirs); see also Rickard v. Am. Nat'l Prop. & Cas. Co., 173 A.3d 299 (Pa. Super. 2017) (decedent's agreement to accept insurance benefits in exchange for allowing subrogation by insurer not binding on non-signatory heirs who recovered damages in subsequent wrongful death action against tortfeasor). The Waiver in this regard is analogous to the settlement and release agreement at issue in Buttermore , or the arbitration agreement in Pisano .

We observe that the undisputed purpose of the Act is "to provide a cause of action against one whose tortious conduct caused the death of another." Amadio , 501 A.2d at 1087 . And, as we have stated, exculpatory contracts must be read narrowly. See Dilks, 192 A.2d at 687 ; see also Tayar v. Camelback Ski Corp. Inc. , 616 Pa. 385 , 47 A.3d 1190 , 1196 (2012) (for exculpatory clause to be enforceable "contract language must be construed strictly"), quoting Topp Copy , 626 A.2d at 99 . Allowing the Waiver to have a broad exculpatory effect with respect to non-signatory wrongful death claimants would essentially make the right the General Assembly created for certain heirs through the Act an illusory one. Abrogation of an express statutory right to recovery in this way violates public policy, and a pre-injury exculpatory waiver that contravenes public policy is invalid and unenforceable. Chepkevich , 2 A.3d at 1177 . Cf. Tayar , 47 A.3d at 1203 (curtailing purported effect of waiver on public policy grounds). Moreover, our recognition of relevant public policy concerns in this regard does not constitute "creation" of public policy. See OISA at 947. Our law is clear that determination of whether contract terms may be avoided on public policy grounds "requires a showing of overriding public policy from legal precedents [or] governmental practice ...." Tayar , 47 A.3d at 1199 . The public policy we recognize here is well-established in both judicial precedents and statutory enactment. This Court has declined to enforce exculpatory contracts "[w]here the legislature has, by definite and unequivocal language, determined the public policy of this Commonwealth with regard to a particular subject, [because] that pronouncement cannot be set aside and rendered unenforceable by a contract between individuals." Boyd v. Smith , 372 Pa. 306 , 94 A.2d 44 , 46 (1953) (exculpatory waiver of liability unenforceable on public policy grounds due to conflict with statute). Precluding the use of the Waiver as a carte blanche automatic defense to wrongful death actions comports with the remedial purpose and protection expressed in the Act. A contrary holding elevates a private contract above public policy embodied in a statutory enactment, and overrides our jurisprudence directing a narrow and strict construction of exculpatory waivers.

Accordingly, we would hold the Waiver is void and unenforceable with respect to appellant's wrongful death claims and, as such, the Waiver should not be available to appellee as a defense in the underlying wrongful death litigation. 8 We would hold the Superior Court erred in affirming summary judgment in favor of appellee on that basis, and reverse and remand to the trial court for further proceedings on appellant's wrongful death claim.

Justice Donohue and Justice Mundy join this opinion in support of reversal.

JUSTICE DONOHUE

I join Justice Dougherty's Opinion in Support of Reversal ("OISR") in full. I too disagree with the Superior Court's conclusion that the Decedent's exculpatory agreement may serve as a complete defense to the wrongful death heir's claim against the Triathlon. I write separately to express my view that, in light of the derivative nature of wrongful death actions, the Superior Court was technically correct in its analysis of the mechanical operation of the liability waiver in reaching its conclusion. However, when the mechanical operation of the law works to defeat the purpose of a remedial statute like the Wrongful Death Act, by way of the broad enforcement of a legally disfavored exculpatory agreement, the mechanical operation must yield.

As Justice Dougherty explains, this Court has repeatedly affirmed a requirement that exculpatory agreements must be narrowly and strictly construed because exculpatory language, which purports to relieve a person of liability even when he has negligently caused injury to another, is not favored in the law. OISR (Dougherty, J.) at 952-53, 954-55 (citing Employers Liability Assur. Corp. v. Greenville Business Men's Ass'n. , 423 Pa. 288 , 224 A.2d 620 , 623 (1966) ; Chepkevich v. Hidden Valley Resort, L.P. , 607 Pa. 1 , 2 A.3d 1174 , 1189 (2010) ; Topp Copy Prods. Inc. v. Singletary , 533 Pa. 468 , 626 A.2d 98 (1993) ;

Dilks v. Flohr Chevrolet, Inc. , 411 Pa. 425 , 192 A.2d 682 , 687 (1963) ). Here, Appellant does not challenge the validity or the enforceability of the contractual assumption of risk in the survival action she brought (as administratrix) on behalf of Decedent's estate. Therefore, for purposes of this appeal, the liability waiver is valid and enforceable as a complete defense to the survival action. As between the Triathlon and Decedent, there is a knowing and voluntary agreement to extinguish Decedent's ability to recover for claims of ordinary negligence.

I believe that we must, however, decline to allow the liability waiver to defeat a wrongful death action brought by heirs who never agreed, expressly or otherwise, to eliminate their statutory right to recover for their pecuniary loss resulting from the death of their loved one that, as alleged, was tortious but for the liability waiver. Allowing the liability waiver to defeat the wrongful death action, as the Superior Court did, gives the waiver the broadest possible reading, contrary to our mandate to narrowly construe such provisions. The tenet of strict construction requires that we limit this liability waiver to its narrowest effect: a bar to recovery under the survival action.

Moreover, as noted by Justice Dougherty, for an exculpatory waiver to be valid, it must meet three conditions: it must not contravene public policy, the contract must be between persons relating entirely to their own private affairs, and each party must be a free bargaining agent to the agreement so that the contract is not one of adhesion. OISR (Dougherty, J.) at 952-53 (citing Chepkevich , 2 A.3d at 1177 ). As to these first two prongs, this Court's decision in Boyd v. Smith , 372 Pa. 306 , 94 A.2d 44 (1953), is instructive. In Boyd , an agreement between a property owner and a tenant relieved the property owner from liability for any injury occasioned by the property owner's negligence in the maintenance of the leased building. Boyd , 94 A.2d at 45 . However, pursuant to statute, "no building ... shall be used for human habitation unless it is equipped with a fire escape or fire escapes as required by law." Id. (quoting 53 P.S. § 3962). The property in question was not equipped with fire escapes. The building caught fire and, unable to escape the building by fire escape, the tenant sustained serious injuries and sued. The property owner attempted to rely on the exculpatory agreement in the lease to avoid liability.

We declined to find the waiver enforceable, explaining:

Such a protective clause is undoubtedly valid and enforceable if it does not contravene any policy of the law, that is, if it is not a matter of interest to the public or the state but merely an agreement between persons relating entirely to their private affairs. The situation becomes an entirely different one in the eye of the law when the legislation in question is, as here, a police measure obviously intended for the protection of human life; in such event public policy does not permit an individual to waive the protection which the statute is designed to afford him.

Id. at 46 . We further held, "where the legislature has, by definite and unequivocal language, determined the public policy of this Commonwealth with regard to a particular subject, that pronouncement cannot be set aside and rendered unenforceable by a contract between individuals." Id.

We are tasked here with determining the legal effect of a liability waiver upon a third party, not the signatory - a far more extreme reach of the waiver of liability than in Boyd . However, as in Boyd , the fullest enforcement of the liability waiver would contravene an unequivocal policy determination by the General Assembly, namely that wrongful death heirs are entitled to recover pecuniary losses from the party responsible for their provider's death. See OISR (Dougherty, J.) at 952-53, 954.

The Wrongful Death Act, which is remedial in nature and must be construed liberally, assures that surviving heirs do not need to go without financial support nor look to public welfare agencies to shoulder the economic burden of the loss of a provider. See Kaczorowski , 184 A. at 665 ; see also Gershon v. Regency Diving Center , 368 N.J.Super. 237 , 845 A.2d 720 , 728 (2004) (observing that, "in many wrongful death cases the decedent was the 'breadwinner' and the heirs are children, incompetents or those otherwise economically dependent on the decedent"). Notably, in the case at bar, Decedent was a forty-year-old husband and father of two who worked full-time for United Parcel Service and part-time as a licensed realtor. See Appellant's Response to Triathlon's Motion for Summary Judgment at 2.

Allowing the Triathlon to use Decedent's waiver of liability to defeat a wrongful death claim would require us to ignore clear public policy embedded in the wrongful death statute and our laws governing decedents more generally. Analogously, the General Assembly has for centuries prohibited spousal disinheritance by will in order to ensure the surviving spouse's financial security after the decedent's death. See In re Houston's Estate , 371 Pa. 396 , 89 A.2d 525 , 526 (1952) ; see also 20 Pa.C.S. § 2203 (authorizing a surviving spouse to take against the will an elective share of one-third of the deceased's property, subject to certain exceptions, thereby ensuring the surviving spouse's right to some inheritance). Thus, a married individual cannot eliminate his spouse's statutory entitlement, even through an attempted disinheritance in a last will and testament. In my view, it is impossible to reconcile allowing a sporting event participant to eradicate a statutory claim for wrongful death damages when he could not accomplish a disinheritance by virtue of a will. For this reason, and because liability waivers are disfavored, I join Justice Dougherty in narrowly construing the liability waiver so that it is enforceable only in the survival action brought on behalf of Decedent's estate, where it was not challenged. Cf. Tayar , 47 A.3d at 1203 (curtailing purported effect of waiver on public policy grounds). So construed, it has no effect on the wrongful death action. Like Justice Dougherty, I would decline to give any effect to the Decedent's contractual waiver of the Triathlon's duty of care in the wrongful death action because doing so would implicate public, not merely private, affairs and would contravene the policy set forth by our legislature in the Wrongful Death Act which we must liberally construe. OISR (Dougherty, J.) at 954-55; see also Chepkevich , 2 A.3d at 1189 ; Boyd , 94 A.2d at 46 .

1 We also granted allowance of appeal to determine whether to abolish the assumption of the risk doctrine under circumstances where the Comparative Negligence Act does not expressly permit its application. Appellant, however, waived this issue by not challenging the overall viability of the assumption of the risk doctrine in the lower tribunals. See Pa.R.A.P. 302(a) (providing that "[i]ssues not raised in the lower court are waived and cannot be raised for the first time on appeal").

2 In block capital lettering above the signature line, the Agreement stated that Decedent's acceptance of the Agreement confirmed that he read and understood its terms, that he understood that he would surrender substantial rights, including the right to sue, and that Decedent signed the agreement freely and voluntarily. Id. This final paragraph went on to state that acceptance of the Agreement constituted "a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law." Id.

3 In Pisano , the decedent had executed an agreement at the time of his admission to a long-term care nursing facility ("Extendicare"), providing that any dispute arising from the agreement would be resolved by binding arbitration. Id. at 653. The decedent's son subsequently commenced a wrongful death action against Extendicare in the trial court. Extendicare filed preliminary objections, seeking to have the case dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The trial court overruled Extendicare's preliminary objections, holding that a wrongful death action is a creature of statute and is independent of the right of action of the decedent's estate. Id. at 654. Thus, the trial court concluded, the decedent's agreement to arbitrate disputes did not preclude the wrongful death claim brought by the decedent's son. Id .

The Superior Court affirmed. The court reasoned that pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301, a wrongful death action is not derivative of the decedent's claim, but is a separate and distinct right of action belonging to statutory claimants to compensate them for damages they sustained as a result of the decedent's death. Id. at 656-8. The Pisano court concluded that the arbitration agreement was not binding on the decedent's son because he was not a party to that agreement; thus, the trial court was correct in refusing to compel arbitration.

4 Notably, the Superior Court presumed the validity of the Agreement as Appellant presented no claim to the contrary. See id. at 492 n.6 (explaining that Appellant "does not challenge the substantive validity of the liability waiver as a bar to her claims of ordinary negligence. Consequently, we need not address the validity of the exculpatory provisions in the context of this case."). By declaring the Agreement void as against public policy, the OISR ignores this clear waiver of any challenge to the Agreement on those grounds.

1 Appellant stipulated to the dismissal of all defendants other than appellee on January 29, 2013, and they are not involved in this appeal. See Stipulation of Dismissal Without Prejudice.

2 In Pennsylvania, wrongful death claims are separate and distinct from survival claims, although both involve allegations of negligence against the defendant. See Dubose v. Quinlan , 643 Pa. 244 , 173 A.3d 634 , 637 (2017) ; Kiser v. Schulte , 538 Pa. 219 , 648 A.2d 1 , 4 (1994) (discussing differences between survival and wrongful death claims); Tulewicz v. Se. Pa. Transp. Auth. , 529 Pa. 588 , 606 A.2d 427 , 431 (1992) ; ("the two actions are designed to compensate two different categories of claimants"); Pisano v. Extendicare Homes, Inc. , 77 A.3d 651 , 654 (Pa. Super. 2013), appeal denied , 624 Pa. 683 , 86 A.3d 233 (Pa. 2014) ("Pennsylvania courts have repeatedly distinguished wrongful death claims from survival claims"). The survival claim is the "continuation of a cause of action that accrued to the plaintiff's decedent while the decedent was alive .... On the other hand, a wrongful death action accrues to the decedent's heirs when the decedent dies of such an injury ...." Dubose , 173 A.3d at 637. As explained more fully infra , a wrongful death claim is an independent action which belongs to the decedent's heirs for damages aimed to compensate members of a decedent's family for their loss. Tulewicz , 606 A.2d at 431 .

3 Judge Olson authored the majority opinion joined by P.J. Gantman, P.J.E. Bender, and Judges Bowes, Shogun and Ott.

4 In a concurring and dissenting opinion joined by Judges Panella and Lazarus, P.J.E. Ford Elliott determined Buttermore v. Aliquippa Hospital, 522 Pa. 325 , 561 A.2d 733 (1989) was instructive on the analysis of the Waiver, despite the majority's effort to distinguish it. Valentino , 150 A.3d at 501-02 (Ford Elliott, P.J.E., concurring and dissenting). Judge Ford Elliott noted the Waiver is similar to the release in Buttermore , and the non-signatory heir in that case had an independent right to sue for the injury she suffered as a result of her decedent's death. Id. Judge Ford Elliott stated the majority's holding the Decedent's own assumption of risk created a complete defense to his heirs' wrongful death action would "eviscerate the Pennsylvania wrongful death statute which creates an independent and distinct cause of action, not derivative of the decedent's rights at time of death." Id. at 502 . Judge Ford Elliott would also have relied on Pisano to reverse summary judgment. Id. at 504 .

5 This Court granted review of this second issue and ordered supplemental briefing via a per curiam order dated January 26, 2018. As acknowledged by the Opinion in Support of Affirmance (OISA), although appellant challenged the effectiveness of the Waiver as it applied to Decedent, she never questioned the overall viability of the doctrine of assumption of the risk below, and the issue is therefore waived. See OISA at 942, n.1.

6 The OISA suggests our view of the case ignores the question before the Court. See OISA at 942-43. Respectfully, the OISA's position reveals an overly narrow reading of the issue on appeal, i.e., whether an exculpatory contract can be enforced against non-signatory heirs in a claim made pursuant to the Wrongful Death Act. See supra at 950-51. In answering that question, we examine the terms of the Waiver within the context in which it is to be enforced. We cannot disregard the nature of the underlying suit and our jurisprudence guiding our interpretation of exculpatory contracts, which specifically includes a consideration of public policy. See Chepkevich , 2 A.3d at 1177 (exculpatory agreement is valid only when "it does not contravene public policy ..."). Although the question granted on appeal did not include the term "public policy," we must surely consider public policy when determining whether an exculpatory agreement is valid and enforceable under the given circumstances.

7 The OISA accurately observes an exculpatory agreement would "generally be valid to preclude a participant's ordinary negligence claims against the purveyor of an inherently dangerous sport or activity," but nevertheless rejects our view that the same waiver could be ineffective as a defense in a wrongful death claim while providing a viable defense in a survival action. See OISA at 947. We consider the disparate treatment of the Waiver in the two causes of action to be the direct result of the different goals and purposes served by the relevant statutes. See supra at 942, n.2.

8 Importantly, our holding would not render appellee defenseless in that litigation, despite the OISA statement our reading means appellant's right to relief is "absolute". See OISA at 947. We recognize a wrongful death action is a tort claim arising from the alleged "wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another." 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301. Appellant must still prove the elements of her case, including causation, before any recovery would be assured. See, e.g., Phillips v. Cricket Lighters , 576 Pa. 644 , 841 A.2d 1000 , 1008 (2003) (to maintain negligence action, plaintiff must show defendant had duty to conform to standard of conduct, breach of duty, the breach caused the injury, and the injury resulted in damages).