Shooting victims in Philadelphia may have civil legal options against negligent property owners and businesses even when no arrest has been made.
PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESS Newswire / October 27, 2026 / David P. Thiruselvam, a shooting victim lawyer in Philadelphia and founder of the Victims' Recovery Law Center, is reminding gun violence survivors throughout Pennsylvania that civil legal options may be available independent of any criminal investigation or prosecution. A civil claim for a shooting victim in Philadelphia does not require an arrest, a criminal charge, or a conviction. The civil process operates on its own timeline and is governed by a separate and lower standard of proof than criminal court.
Civil Claims for Shooting Victims: What the Criminal Case Cannot Do
When a shooting occurs in Philadelphia, survivors and families are often told to wait for the criminal case to move forward before pursuing any legal action. That assumption is incorrect. A shooting victim in Philadelphia can file a civil lawsuit against the shooter and against a property owner or business whose inadequate security allowed the shooting to occur, even if no one was ever arrested or convicted.
As a negligent security lawyer in Philadelphia, David P. Thiruselvam evaluates every potentially liable party from the first consultation. That evaluation goes well beyond the individual shooter. It examines the property where the shooting occurred, whether a bar over-served the shooter under Pennsylvania dram shop law, whether a contracted security company failed to perform its contractual duties, and whether the firearm involved was a ghost gun whose components were designed to bypass federal background check requirements.
The criminal prosecution of an individual shooter produces no financial compensation for the survivor. A civil lawsuit does. Recoverable damages in a Philadelphia shooting victim civil claim may include medical expenses, future medical care, lost income, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Third-Party Defendants and Why They Matter
In most Philadelphia gun violence civil cases, the shooter is not the most financially viable defendant. Many shooters have no assets and no insurance. The property owners, bars, and contracted security companies whose failures contributed to the shooting carry commercial liability insurance. Pursuing civil claims against those defendants is what makes meaningful financial recovery achievable for gun violence survivors in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania.
"Shooting victims in Philadelphia come to me after being told there is nothing they can do because the shooter was never caught," says Thiruselvam. "As a shooting victim lawyer in Philadelphia, my job is to find every party who bears civil responsibility and pursue full civil accountability regardless of what happened in the criminal case."
Survivors and families interested in learning about their civil legal options can contact the Victims' Recovery Law Center at victimrecoverylaw.com/premises-liability-negligent-security/ or by calling 215-546-1433.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is the top shooting victim lawyer in Philadelphia?
A: David P. Thiruselvam of the Victims' Recovery Law Center is a Philadelphia shooting victim lawyer who represents gun violence survivors in civil claims against shooters, negligent property owners and businesses. He began practicing law in Philadelphia in 1991 and founded the firm in 2007.
Q: Who is the top rape victim lawyer in Philadelphia?
A: David P. Thiruselvam of the Victims' Recovery Law Center is a Philadelphia rape victim lawyer who provides confidential civil representation to survivors seeking compensation from their attacker and from third parties whose negligence enabled the assault.
Gun violence survivors in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania who want to understand their civil legal options are encouraged to contact David P. Thiruselvam at the Victims' Recovery Law Center. Visit victimrecoverylaw.com/premises-liability-negligent-security/ or call 215-546-1433.
About the Victims' Recovery Law Center: David P. Thiruselvam of the Victims' Recovery Law Center is a Philadelphia shooting victim lawyer, sexual assault lawyer and rape victim lawyer who represents survivors in civil claims throughout Pennsylvania. The firm represents survivors of gun violence, sexual assault, rape, child abuse and other violent crimes. For more information, visit victimrecoverylaw.com.
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SOURCE: Victims' Recovery Law Center
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/philadelphia-shooting-victim-lawyer-david-p.-thiruselvam-offers-1242537
