Fatal car accidents, when caused by the negligence or carelessness of another person, may result in wrongful death lawsuits brought by the personal representative of the deceased's estate, on behalf of the deceased's immediate family. Typically, the family will seek financial recompense for the loss of the deceased, as well as any bills resulting from the accident, such as the cost of the vehicle involved, the deceased's medical bills, and/or funeral expenses. While medical expenses are relatively easy to quantify, the amount of fair and just compensation for the lost life of the deceased, or pecuniary loss, can be much more difficult to determine. A variety of factors are used to calculate pecuniary loss, including the deceased's age, life expectancy, earning capacity, medical health, and family structure. As a result, the amount of pecuniary loss for a 70-year-old retiree in ill health might be quite different than that for a 30-year-old father of three who works as a nuclear engineer while his wife stays at home and cares for the children.