Wrongful Death Attorneys And Lawyers handle claims in common law jurisdictions against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. Under common law, a dead person cannot bring a suit, and this created a legal hole in which activities that resulted in a person's injury would result in civil sanction but activities that resulted in a person's death would not.

Who Can Sue: Immediate family members may file a lawsuit - including parents, spouses, and children, are almost always eligible to file a claim, although minors may need an adult guardian to take a wrongful death lawsuit to court. Additionally, other family members - such as stepparents, grandparents, and dependents, may also be permitted to file suit in some states.

Claims Against - Losses suffered by the decedent's spouse, children, or next of kin, including:

loss of financial support
loss of service
loss of gifts or other valuable gratuities
loss of parental training and guidance
loss of society and companionship

In most, if not all states in the United States, there was no common law right to recover civil damages for the wrongful death of a person. However, now the states have each enacted statutes to create a right to such recovery. The issue of liability will be determined by the tort law of a given state.

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