In some situations, the party who caused your loved one’s death may be charged with a crime. For example, if your loved one died because of a shooting, the person may be charged with murder and other criminal offenses.
The criminal case is separate from a wrongful death case. A wrongful death case is a civil matter.
The person may or may not be convicted of the crime. However, that does not impact your ability to file a civil claim. A conviction in criminal court could help your case, but it is unnecessary.