After losing a loved one in an accident, you and your family may be able to bring two different types of civil claims. One, a wrongful death claim, serves to compensate surviving loved ones for their damages. Another, a survival action, provides compensation to the decedent’s estate for his or her specific losses. Surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim, while only a representative of the estate may file a survival action. The representative will have the later of six months after the death or two years from the wrongful act to file a survival action.