Fatal traffic accident statistics show that for a large portion of the United States population, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental death. It is no surprise, then, that fatal car accidents are often the source of wrongful death lawsuits, or claims seeking compensation for the surviving family members of fatal accident victim. Wrongful death lawsuits, which are purely governed by state law, are the means by which surviving family members can recover compensation from the person or entity that is responsible for the wrongful death, whether through acts of recklessness, negligence, and/or acts for which the person/entity is strictly liable. Among the types of damages that are available through wrongful death lawsuits are medical bills of the decedent (some of which may be owed to the decedent's health insurance company) related to the accident, funeral expenses for the decedent, and loss of future earnings and/or wages as support for his or her surviving family members.