A wrongful death action is defined as a lawsuit brought on behalf of which party?

A wrongful death action is fundamentally a legal step taken to seek compensation for the losses incurred due to the death of an individual caused by the negligence or wrongful acts of another party. This type of lawsuit is specifically designed to be brought on behalf of the survivors of the deceased, meaning those family members or beneficiaries who were affected by the loss.

Survivors, often including spouses, children, or parents, have the legal right to pursue a claim for damages such as loss of companionship, emotional distress, and financial support that the deceased would have provided had they lived. The focus of such actions is to compensate the living relatives who experience significant, tangible losses as a result of the fatal incident.

In contrast, other groups mentioned, such as the decedent's estate or business partners, do not typically have the standing to bring a wrongful death lawsuit in the same way. While the estate may be involved in estate-related claims, wrongful death actions are distinct in that their primary beneficiaries are those who were closest to the deceased and directly impacted by their absence.