Fatal road accidents commonly result in wrongful death claims, where the driver who caused the accident has acted negligently, or carelessly, in some way. If a fatality occurs under these circumstances, then the deceased person's family members may have grounds to file a wrongful death action against the responsible driver. The types and amounts of compensation that might be available through a wrongful death lawsuit differ quite a bit from state to state. Additionally, all states have strict time limits in which family members are eligible to file wrongful death actions in court. These time limits are typically called statutes of limitation, and they usually range anywhere from one to three years following the date of the wrongful death. If a wrongful death action is not filed in court within the applicable statute of limitations, the case is subject to dismissal, and the family members will be permanently barred from seeking any compensation from the responsible party through a wrongful death action. Therefore, it is extremely important that family members with a potential wrongful death case contact an attorney as soon as possible following the incident that led to the wrongful death.