What is a “wrongful death” lawsuit?

Answer:

We use the term “wrongful death” to mean any lawsuit where the victim was killed as a result of someone else’s negligence or unjust action. The suit is brought on behalf of the deceased individual and his or her survivors are entitled to be compensated for damages as a result of the wrongful conduct of the defendant.

Put simply, a wrongful death case in Virginia is a negligence lawsuit where the injury happens to be death.