Wrongful death malpractice cases typically involve situations in which a doctor, nurse, and/or healthcare facility causes the death of a person by acting in a negligent or careless manner. Where a healthcare provider acts negligently in treating a patient, which results in injury to a patient, the usual remedy is for the injured person to file a medical malpractice civil lawsuit against the healthcare provider seeking compensation for his or her injuries. When a patient dies as a result of a healthcare provider's negligence, however, the appropriate remedy may be a wrongful death action. In this kind of lawsuit, the immediate family members of the patient and/or the personal representative of the patient's estate seek to hold the healthcare provider financially responsible for expenses related to the death of the patient, such as medical bills and funeral expenses, as well as damages for loss of future earnings, support for dependents, and other types of pecuniary damages.