Wrongful death is a legal cause of action that allows the family members of a person who has died as a result of the negligence or intentional act of another person or entity to seek compensation for their loss.

In most jurisdictions, the spouse, children, and parents of the deceased person can all file a wrongful death lawsuit.

In a wrongful death lawsuit, the family members of the deceased person can recover damages for funeral expenses, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

In most jurisdictions, the statute of limitations for filing a wrongful death lawsuit is two years.

Some of the defenses to a wrongful death lawsuit include contributory negligence, assumption of risk, and act of God.

The purpose of a wrongful death lawsuit is to punish the person or entity who caused the death, to compensate the family members of the deceased person for their loss, and to deter others from engaging in similar conduct.

Some of the challenges in proving a wrongful death case include the burden of proof being on the plaintiff, the defendant may have a number of defenses, and the evidence may be difficult to obtain.

The average settlement amount in a wrongful death case is $500,000.

The highest settlement amount ever awarded in a wrongful death case is $400 million.

Griswold v. Connecticut is a landmark wrongful death case that established the right to privacy in the United States.

It is impossible to predict the future of wrongful death lawsuits.

Some of the ethical issues surrounding wrongful death lawsuits include the potential for frivolous lawsuits, the high cost of litigation, and the impact on the families of the deceased.

Some of the reforms that have been proposed to address the problems with wrongful death lawsuits include capping the amount of damages that can be awarded, requiring plaintiffs to prove that the defendant acted with gross negligence or recklessness, and limiting the number of people who can file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Wrongful death law in the United States is governed by state law.