Every state has a set of civil statutes that comprise that state's wrongful death law. While these statutes differ somewhat from state to state, most states have fairly standard statutes that permit the immediate family of a decedent to recover for financial losses as a result of a death caused by the negligence of another person or company. Wrongful death lawsuits commonly arise out of deaths from automobile and motorcycle accidents, plane crashes, criminal activities, and/or medical malpractice incidents. In wrongful death actions nationwide, immediate family members may be able to recover financial damages for the loss of their loved one, in the form of medical expenses and funeral costs, as well as pecuniary damages, based on the loss of the decedent's support in the future. Plus, some states even permit the recovery of punitive damages in a wrongful death lawsuit, where death has resulted from the serious or intentional wrongdoing of another person or company.