Opinion ID: 1302352
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: duty of the personal representative and the co-heirs

Text: ¶ 9 At common law there was no cause of action for wrongful death; thus, wrongful death claims and recovery are governed by statute. See Behrens v. Raleigh Hills Hosp., Inc., 675 P.2d 1179, 1183-84 (Utah 1983). Utah's wrongful death statute provides that a personal representative may maintain an action against a tort-feasor for the benefit of [the] heirs. Utah Code Ann. § 78-11-7 (1996). Thus, when a personal representative brings a wrongful death action, he does so for the benefit of all statutory heirs. See Tracy v. University of Utah Hosp., 619 P.2d 340, 342 (Utah 1980) (stating wrongful death damages are awarded in trust for all the heirs); Switzer v. Reynolds, 606 P.2d 244, 246 (Utah 1980) (announcing that the single action for wrongful death is for the benefit of all heirs); see also Haro v. Haro, 887 P.2d 878, 879 (Utah Ct.App.1994) (stating that recovery must be pursued on behalf of the decedent's heirs and not for the estate); 25A C.J.S. Death § 33(1) (1966 and Supp.1998). Therefore, the personal representative incurs a fiduciary obligation to all statutory heirs whether they intervene in the action or not. See Parmley, 228 P. at 562; Switzer, 606 P.2d at 248; Tracy, 619 P.2d at 342-43. Section 78-11-6.5 defines heirs for the purpose of the wrongful death statute; that definition includes a decedent's parents. See Utah Code Ann. § 78-11-6.5. ¶ 10 In the instant case Overturf, as personal representative of Gay Overturf's heirs, had a fiduciary duty to collect and distribute the settlement proceeds to all of the statutory beneficiaries which, by statute, included Oxendine. Therefore, Oxendine has a claim against Overturf for failing to properly represent her interests in this case. ¶ 11 Oxendine relies on dicta in Parmley and Tracy for the proposition that she has a cause of action for contribution against all the co-heirs. See Tracy, 619 P.2d at 342-43 (suggesting an excluded heir can resort to a separate action for contribution); Parmley, 64 Utah 125, 228 P. at 562 (stating an excluded heir may always bring an action against his co-heirs for contribution). However, under the wrongful death statute, a co-heir who does not assume the obligations of the personal representative had no duty to represent Oxendine's interest in a wrongful death suit. Thus, we hold that Oxendine is limited to bringing an action against the personal representative and disavow the dicta in Parmley and Tracy suggesting that an action in contribution is available against all co-heirs. As a result, the district court correctly dismissed the claim for contribution against the co-heirs who did not act as a personal representative.