Opinion ID: 2295382
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Review of the Law

Text: Maryland's wrongful death statute was first enacted by Chapter 299 of the Acts of 1852. It created a cause of action, brought in the name of the State, for the use of the spouse, parent, or child of the person tortiously killedtoday's primary beneficiaries under CJ § 3-904(a)(1). The damages under the 1852 Act were the pecuniary loss sustained by the parties entitled to the benefit of the action. Stewart v. United Elec. Light & Power Co., 104 Md. 332, 348, 65 A. 49, 53 (1906). Section 2 of the 1852 Act directed that the recovery be divided amongst the before mentioned parties, in such shares as the jury by their verdict shall find and direct. Section 3 of the Act required the plaintiff to furnish particulars of the nature of the claim and of the persons on whose behalf the action was brought. [3] It was not until 1969, by Chapter 352 of the Acts of that year, that the earliest provision for solatium damages was enacted. Pecuniary loss, if any, and solatium damages are the components of the individual shares required by present CJ § 3-904(c). The 1852 Act also contained two provisos, to wit:  Provided, always, That not more than one action shall lie for and in respect of the same subject matter of complaint; and that every such action shall be commenced within twelve calendar months after the death of the deceased person. Today, these provisos are found, respectively, in subsections (f) and (g) of § 3-904. The first Rules of Procedure addressing wrongful death actions were part of the monumental project undertaken by the Rules Committee to cull procedural provisions from the Maryland Code and to embody them in Rules of Procedure adopted under this Court's constitutional authority. The project culminated in the adoption of the former Special Proceedings Rules presented in the Twentieth Report of the Rules Committee, effective January 1, 1962, followed by the enactment by the General Assembly of Chapter 36 of the Acts of 1962. That legislation repealed, inter alia, the provisions for a bill of particulars [4] and for titling the action in the name of the State. The Special Proceeding Rules included Subtitle Q, Death by Wrongful Act, which, in relevant part, provided: Rule Q40. Application of Rule. The Maryland Rules shall apply to all actions for wrongful death brought under Code, Article 67 and under Article 101, Section 58, whether the cause of action arose in this State or elsewhere. Rule Q41. Plaintiffs. a. Cause of Action in This State. Where such cause of action arose in this State all persons who are or may be entitled to damages by reason thereof shall be named as plaintiffs whether or not they joined in bringing the action: however, the names of those who did not join in bringing the action shall be preceded by the words: `to the use of ....' . . . . Rule Q42. Necessary Allegations. In addition to all other facts required to be pleaded, the original pleading of the plaintiff in such action shall state the plaintiff's relationship to the decedent, his right to bring the action, the names and last known addresses of all persons who are or may be entitled by law to recover damages and their relationship. Rule Q43. Intervention. Any person claiming to be entitled to damages in such action may intervene as a party plaintiff at any time prior to verdict or judgment nisi.  Further relevant revisions of the Rules applying to wrongful death actions were made when the former Special Proceedings Rules were repealed. Present Rule 15-1001 was adopted, effective January 1, 1997, as part of the comprehensive revision of the Maryland Rules that commenced in 1984. See 22 Md. Reg., Issue 24, 1 (Nov. 24, 1995) (publishing the 132nd Report of the Rules Committee), and 23 Md. Reg., Issue 14 (July 5, 1996) (publishing the order of this Court adopting that Report). The 1997 changes added the requirement in Rule 15-1001(c) for notices to all use plaintiffs and for filing proof of service.