A survival action recovers, on behalf of the estate, the losses your loved one themselves suffered between the injury and their death. On the economic side, that generally includes the medical and hospital expenses they incurred for the injury and the income they lost during that period — real, tangible losses that belonged to your loved one.
It may also include the pain and suffering your loved one endured before passing. Whether, and to what extent, an estate can recover a decedent's pre-death pain and suffering varies by state and has changed in recent years, so this is something to confirm for your specific situation rather than assume.
Brought alongside a wrongful death claim — which recovers the family's own losses — a survival action helps account for the full harm caused by the death. Any recovery generally passes through the estate. We help document what your loved one endured, confirm what the law allows, and pursue both claims together with care.