Fatal accidents can result in wrongful deaths, in the sense that someone has acted carelessly or intentionally in order to cause the death of a person or persons. Common examples include those victims frequently cited as a drunk driving death rate statistic. When this situation occurs, the decedent's loved ones often seek the advice of an attorney in order to determine whether a wrongful death action is appropriate. In a wrongful death action, the decedent's immediate family is seeking financial compensation for the loss of life as a result of another person's actions. An attorney must file a wrongful death action on the behalf of the personal representative of the decedent's estate, in order to financially compensate the decedent's family member for their losses. These losses can take the form of fairly straightforward expenses such as the decedent's medical and funeral expenses, as well as more speculative losses, such as the loss of the decedent's ability to earn and provide support for his or her family, or the loss of the potential to inherit from the decedent's estate following wrongful death. Other expenses, such as interest and attorney's fees, may also be available in a wrongful death suit, depending on the state's wrongful death statutes.