Wrongful Death

A wrongful death is a death caused by the negligence or the willful act of another and can result in both civil and criminal action. If a person is killed because of the wrongful act of another person, the kin of the deceased may file a suit for wrongful death. Initially, the law did not allow damages to be collected for wrongful death because all claims were considered to be dead with the victim. Now, the courts recognize the need to compensate the dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of the deceased for such a loss and grant both compensatory and punitive damages in appropriate circumstances.