In a lawsuit for wrongful death, pain and suffering are a common claim that may or may not be permissible under a particular state's law. If a person suffered extensive injuries that inflicted serious pain upon him for an extended period of time prior to his death, what started as a personal injury claim may, by virtue of a survival action, turn into a wrongful death claim under state law. In other states, however, the pain and suffering of a decedent prior to his death is not compensable in the context of a wrongful death claim. Similarly, whether surviving family members of the victim of a wrongful death can claim damages for pain and suffering through a wrongful death claim is dependent on state law. In some states, such damages are readily available through a wrongful death claim. In other states, however, such relief is not available through a wrongful death claim, but may be available through other independent legal remedies, such as claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress.