HOW CAN AN ESTATE MAINTAIN A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT ON A DECEDENT’S BEHALF? PART 1 OF 3

Unfortunately, quite often a decedent’s death does not occur because of natural causes. Natural causes include dying of old age, dying from a terminal illness or life-ending illness or from a preexisting medical condition. If you die from a wrongful act, a family member, spouse or your personal representative has the right to sue someone on your behalf. This blog series covers your personal representative’s right to sue on your estate’s behalf.

According to Section 5-4.1 of the New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law or “EPTL,” a personal representative can maintain an action on the decedent’s behalf for a wrongful death claim. This Section of the EPTL allows a personal representative appointed in New York or in another state to sue another individual or company for the decedent’s wrongful death. A personal representative can maintain an action for monetary damages against someone else whose neglect, willful or wrongful act or intentional act caused your death. Typically, the standard of care is that the individual or business owed you a duty of care and but for its wrongful act, you would still be alive.

If you are the personal representative, executor or an administrator appointed to administer a decedent’s estate, you have a legal right to maintain a wrongful death lawsuit on the decedent’s behalf pursuant to the EPTL. To understand your legal rights, you can contact our office today.

Join our blog tomorrow to read Part 2 of How Can an Estate Maintain a Wrongful Death Lawsuit on a Decedent’s Behalf?