As discussed above, a wrongful death lawsuit allows the decedent’s personal representative or surviving family members to pursue compensation. A wrongful death settlement is disbursed to the family members directly as compensation for their losses. If the deceased person passed away after filing a personal injury lawsuit for the condition that caused their death, the executor or authorized representative could pursue a survival action on behalf of the decedent’s estate. A survival action is brought on behalf of the deceased individual rather than the surviving loved ones.