A survival action is an action that the deceased would have filed him or herself if he or she had lived. Unlike a wrongful death lawsuit, which is meant to compensate surviving family members for their grief and hardship, a survival action is meant to compensate the deceased’s estate for his or her pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost earning, and other damages acquired prior to his or her death, and as a result of the injury that lead to his or her death. In short, damages recovered via a survival action are similar to those that could have been recovered via a standard personal injury claim. Again, only a representative of the deceased’s estate may file such an action.