If you wish to sue for wrongful death on behalf of a deceased person, you typically must be an immediate family member of the deceased, and/or the personal representative of his or her estate. Deaths fall under the wrongful death statute if they were caused by the wrongful or negligent acts of another person or entity. For instance, a violation of traffic laws could constitute negligence sufficient for a wrongful death action. Likewise, a medication error by a healthcare professional in a hospital can result in a wrongful death action. If your situation appears to fit the definition of a wrongful death, you still must take care to file the wrongful death action within the appropriate time frame, which is governed by your state statute of limitations. If you do not file your wrongful death lawsuit within the applicable statute of limitations, which can range from one to three years in most states, your suit may be barred altogether, which would leave you with no legal remedies for recovering losses based on your loved one's death.