W W W. C O H E N B AT T I S T I . C O M
Th e w r o n g d o e r ’s p e r s o n a l r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s h a l l b e t h e d e f e n d a n t i f t h e w r o n g d o e r
d i e s b e f o r e o r p e n d i n g t h e a c t i o n . A d e f e n s e t h a t w o u l d b a r o r r e d u c e a s u r v i v o r ’s
r e c o v e r y i f s h e o r h e w e r e t h e p l a i n t i f f m ay b e a s s e r t e d a g a i n s t t h e s u r v i v o r, b u t
s h a l l n o t a f f e c t t h e r e c o v e r y o f a n y o t h e r s u r v i v o r.
768.21 Damages - All potential beneficiaries of a recovery for wrongful death,
i n c l u d i n g t h e d e c e d e n t ’s e s t a t e , s h a l l b e i d e n t i f i e d i n t h e c o m p l a i n t , a n d t h e i r
r e l a t i o n s h i p s t o t h e d e c e d e n t s h a l l b e a l l e g e d . D a m a g e s m ay b e a w a r d e d a s f o l l o w s :
( 1 ) E a c h s u r v i v o r m ay r e c o v e r t h e v a l u e o f l o s t s u p p o r t a n d s e r v i c e s f r o m
t h e d a t e o f t h e d e c e d e n t ’s i n j u r y t o h e r o r h i s d e a t h , w i t h i n t e r e s t , a n d f u t u r e l o s s
of support and services from the date of death and reduced to present value. In
e v a l u a t i n g l o s s o f s u p p o r t a n d s e r v i c e s , t h e s u r v i v o r ’s r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e d e c e d e n t ,
t h e a m o u n t o f t h e d e c e d e n t ’s p r o b a b l e n e t i n c o m e av a i l a b l e f o r d i s t r i b u t i o n t o t h e
p a r t i c u l a r s u r v i v o r, a n d t h e r e p l a c e m e n t v a l u e o f t h e d e c e d e n t ’s s e r v i c e s t o t h e
s u r v i v o r m ay b e c o n s i d e r e d . I n c o m p u t i n g t h e d u r a t i o n o f f u t u r e l o s s e s , t h e j o i n t
l i f e e x p e c t a n c i e s o f t h e s u r v i v o r a n d t h e d e c e d e n t a n d t h e p e r i o d o f m i n o r i t y, i n
t h e c a s e o f h e a l t hy m i n o r c h i l d r e n , m ay b e c o n s i d e r e d .
( 2 ) Th e s u r v i v i n g s p o u s e m ay a l s o r e c o v e r f o r l o s s o f t h e d e c e d e n t ’s
companionship and protection and for mental pain and suffering from the date of
i n j u r y.
(3) Minor children of the decedent, and all children of the decedent if
t h e r e i s n o s u r v i v i n g s p o u s e , m ay a l s o r e c o v e r f o r l o s t p a r e n t a l c o m p a n i o n s h i p ,
instruction, and guidance and for mental pain and suffering from the date of
i n j u r y. Fo r t h e p u r p o s e s o f t h i s s u b s e c t i o n , i f b o t h s p o u s e s d i e w i t h i n 3 0 d ay s o f
one another as a result of the same wrongful act or series of acts arising out of the
s a m e i n c i d e n t , e a c h s p o u s e i s c o n s i d e r e d t o h av e b e e n p r e d e c e a s e d b y t h e o t h e r.
( 4 ) E a c h p a r e n t o f a d e c e a s e d m i n o r c h i l d m ay a l s o r e c o v e r f o r m e n t a l
p a i n a n d s u f f e r i n g f r o m t h e d a t e o f i n j u r y. E a c h p a r e n t o f a n a d u l t c h i l d m ay a l s o
recover for mental pain and suffering if there are no other survivors.
( 5 ) M e d i c a l o r f u n e r a l e x p e n s e s d u e t o t h e d e c e d e n t ’s i n j u r y o r d e a t h m ay
be recovered by a survivor who has paid them.
( 6 ) Th e d e c e d e n t ’s p e r s o n a l r e p r e s e n t a t i v e m ay r e c o v e r f o r t h e d e c e d e n t ’s
estate the following:
(a) Loss of earnings of the deceased from the date of injury to the date of
death, less lost support of survivors excluding contributions in kind, with interest.
Loss of the prospective net accumulations of an estate, which might reasonably
h av e b e e n e x p e c t e d b u t f o r t h e w r o n g f u l d e a t h , r e d u c e d t o p r e s e n t m o n e y v a l u e ,
m ay a l s o b e r e c o v e r e d :