When a defendant is found guilty of causing another person’s death, the surviving family members may have the option to sue. Most wrongful death cases follow criminal trials and use some of the same evidence. If the plaintiffs can show clear, convincing evidence against the defendant and prove fault beyond reasonable doubt, wrongful death actions will commence.nnAt the same time, wrongful death claims may come about as a result of negligence that did not spark a criminal trial. Someone who slipped and fell in public could have died due to the negligence of a public entity that should have maintained that space. The same could be true of an injury that is sustained by someone who is not working on a construction site but is harmed by construction equipment or debris. Car accidents could kill passengers or drivers, and we recommend that families try to collect as much evidence as possible. The following steps are helpful at an accident scene:nnTake pictures or videos of the scene that show how the accident occurred and who or what was involved in the accident. These pictures or videos may be the only evidence that can be collected from the scene.nObtain witness statements from those who were present at the accident. This is a trying time for everyone, but we need as much evidence as possible when framing a convincing case for the court. The personal information of the victim can be very helpful to the case.nCall 911 immediately; the defendant in a wrongful death case might claim that the deceased did not seek medical attention in a timely manner, and in effect, caused their own death.nWe must create a convincing case for the court that shows the death could have been prevented. As stated, many of these cases follow criminal trials. The defendant may have been found not guilty, but we can recover compensation from these people in civil court to help the family heal. If we do not have evidence, we cannot show that the death was preventable.