{"id":373599,"date":"2016-12-14T12:23:34","date_gmt":"2016-12-14T17:23:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/kentucky-law\/kentucky-wrongful-death-laws.html"},"modified":"2018-12-10T14:12:38","modified_gmt":"2018-12-10T19:12:38","slug":"kentucky-wrongful-death-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/kentucky-law\/kentucky-wrongful-death-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Wrongful Death Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kentucky Wrongful Death Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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Whether you’re coasting on the 75 through bluegrass country or working at a construction site with dangling beams on the crane above you, there is always the potential for a random injury, or worse, as you go about your daily life. Accidents have been ranked as the fourth leading cause of death<\/a> in Kentucky. Often the result of crashes on Kentucky’s roadways, they can also be due to workplace accidents<\/a>, especially in the manufacturing and construction fields, two that are well known to Kentuckians.<\/p>\r\n

Whenever there is an unexpected and accidental death that could have been prevented, Kentucky wrongful death laws exist to help compensate loved ones trying to pick up the pieces. However, there are some important rules that can determine who can recover and how much.<\/p>\r\n

Who Benefits From a Kentucky Wrongful Death Case?<\/h2>\r\n

Normally, the person filing a case in court must be the one who actually suffered an injury as a result of a violation of law. That’s not possible in a wrongful death case, but even after a person’s death, his or her estate lives on for legal purposes. Under Kentucky law, it is the personal representative of the the estate that has the authority to prosecute a wrongful death case. This individual is either the executor or administrator<\/a> of the estate who is appointed by the court to administer and wind down the estate until all debts are paid and assets distributed.<\/p>\r\n

When a wrongful death case ends up in a favorable court verdict or settlement, Kentucky law directs that any award be paid out as follows:<\/p>\r\n