Fatal motor vehicle accidents are a common source of wrongful death lawsuits. In fact, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of unintentional death for a large segment of the American population. When someone's negligent acts cause the accidental death of another person, the victim's family can file a wrongful death lawsuit under state law in order to recover compensation for the victim's death. State law varies widely on the types of cases that are eligible for wrongful death claims, who is eligible to file such claims, and the timeframe in which such claims must be made. Therefore, it is essential that the surviving family members of a victim of a wrongful death consult an experienced wrongful death attorney so as to evaluate the success of a potential wrongful death claim, and to ensure that no time limits are missed, which can cause a wrongful death claim to be completely barred.