A representative of the decedent can maintain an action that had accrued during the deceased’s lifetime under the Illinois Survival Statute. The representative can make a claim for damages including lost wages, conscious pain and suffering and loss of normal life. The Survival Statute allows the recovery of damages for the pain and suffering experienced by the decedent from the time of the injury until the time of death even when the injury was the cause of death. For example, if the decedent was in a car accident and died two hours later, the conscious pain and suffering that the decedent experienced over that two-hour period is recoverable. There must be evidence of conscious pain and suffering in order to recover this element of damage. It is not enough to demonstrate that the decedent suffered a severe injury before death. Instead, there must be evidence such as the testimony of a medical care provider or other witness that the decedent was conscious and experienced pain. Even short periods of conscious pain and suffering can be a significant element of damage.