If a family member passed away due to negligence or another wrongdoing, you might be entitled to file a wrongful death lawsuit to the defendant who killed them. These claims are typically made to make up for financial and non-financial losses brought about by a family member’s death. Let’s examine the procedure for wrongful death lawsuits and the parties eligible to bring them.

The specifics of who may file a lawsuit range from state to state, even though all jurisdictions have statutes establishing the right to compensation for wrongful death. The two often used systems by wrongful death statutes will be examined in this section.

The Lord Campbell System

The “Lord Campbell’s Act,” passed by the British Parliament in 1846, inspired most states’ wrongful death laws. While it may sound a little old-fashioned, the specifics provide insight into the current wrongful death personal injury law environment.

A designated beneficiary is the sole one permitted to file a wrongful death claim under American laws based on “Lord Campbell’s Act.” It refers to particular individuals or a particular group of individuals that are listed by the statute, typically based on a connection to the deceased. For instance, some legislation lists the decedent’s widow, widower, or family member as statutory beneficiaries.

Suppose any living members of the first class exist. In that case, the advantage of suing will typically be restricted to them solely, indicating that only they are capable of taking legal action. If no live members remain, the right is transferred to the following class members. This means that a wrongful death claim is barred if there are no living members of any of the classes at the time of the victim’s death.

These are some examples of specified beneficiaries:

• Close relatives include partners, spouses, biological and adoptive children, and parents of unmarried children.
• Siblings, grandparents, and other distant relatives.
• Spouses or partners in life.
• It depends on money and those who endure the consequences of death.

The Loss-To-Estate System

In some areas, a wrongful death claim can only be made by the decedent’s estate to recover damages for the losses incurred due to the decedent’s passing.

The person in charge of the decedent’s estate usually files this wrongful death case. A personal representative is chosen by the probate court to oversee the decedent’s estate. This personal representative would file the lawsuit only in their name. However, any money recovered from the responsible party would be put into a separate trust and distributed to all named beneficiaries. Again, there will be differences in how each jurisdiction calculates the losses incurred.

Wrongful Death Litigation: What Is It?

Historical Approach

The death of another person could not previously be the subject of a civil action by one person. Any criminal punishment or other legal repercussions for a wrongful homicide could be meted out to the culprit, but any civil remedy perished with the victim. In other words, the decedent’s family, the individual who passed away, was barred from suing for financial losses resulting from the passing. This rule had the unexpected result that if someone hurt someone else, the offender was usually better off financially if the victim passed away immediately or at any time before a civil trial could be heard.

Modern Approach

Every state now has more lenient laws than the previous ones, which were more stringent. Generally speaking, wrongful death laws now permit a representative of the deceased person or the dead person’s estate to file a lawsuit for civil damages, such as compensation for loss of enjoyment of life and emotional distress.

Are you in need of a reliable lawyer in Atlanta? Contact Musgrove Trial Firm today!