Bill Text: NY A06063 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for the types of damages that may be awarded to the persons for whose benefit an action for wrongful death is brought.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-26 - referred to judiciary [A06063 Detail]
Download: New_York-2025-A06063-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6063 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 26, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Judiciary AN ACT to amend the estates, powers and trusts law, in relation to the payment and distribution of damages in wrongful death actions The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph 1 of section 5-4.1 of the estates, powers and 2 trusts law, as amended by chapter 114 of the laws of 2003, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 1. The personal representative, duly appointed in this state or any 5 other jurisdiction, of a decedent [who is survived by distributees] may 6 maintain an action to recover damages for a wrongful act, neglect or 7 default which caused the decedent's death against a person who would 8 have been liable to the decedent by reason of such wrongful conduct if 9 death had not ensued. Such an action must be commenced within [two] 10 three years after the decedent's death[; provided, however, that an11action on behalf of a decedent whose death was caused by the terrorist12attacks on September eleventh, two thousand one, other than a decedent13identified by the attorney general of the United States as a participant14or conspirator in such attacks, must be commenced within two years and15six months after the decedent's death]. When the [distributees] persons 16 for whose benefit an action pursuant to this part may be brought do not 17 participate in the administration of the decedent's estate under a will 18 appointing an executor who refuses to bring such action, the [distribu-19tees] persons for whose benefit an action pursuant to this part may be 20 brought are entitled to have an administrator appointed to prosecute the 21 action for their benefit. 22 § 2. Paragraph (a) of section 5-4.3 of the estates, powers and trusts 23 law, as amended by chapter 100 of the laws of 1982, is amended to read 24 as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07457-01-5A. 6063 2 1 (a) The damages awarded to the plaintiff may be such sum as the jury 2 or, where issues of fact are tried without a jury, the court or referee 3 deems to be fair and just compensation for the [pecuniary] injuries 4 resulting from the decedent's death to the persons for whose benefit the 5 action is brought. In every such action, in addition to any other lawful 6 element of recoverable damages, [the reasonable expenses of medical aid,7nursing and attention incident to the injury causing death and the8reasonable funeral expenses of the decedent paid by the distributees, or9for the payment of which any distributee is responsible, shall also be10proper elements of damage] compensation for the following damages may 11 be recovered: (i) reasonable funeral expenses of the decedent paid by 12 the persons for whose benefit the action is brought, or for the payment 13 of which any persons for whose benefit the action is brought is respon- 14 sible; (ii) reasonable expenses for medical care incident to the injury 15 causing death, including but not limited to doctors, nursing, attendant 16 care, treatment, hospitalization of the decedent, and medicines; (iii) 17 grief or anguish caused by the decedent's death; (iv) other pecuniary 18 injuries, including loss of services, support, assistance, and loss or 19 diminishment of inheritance, resulting from the decedent's death; and 20 (v) loss of nurture, guidance, counsel, advice, training, companionship 21 and education resulting from the decedent's death. Interest upon the 22 principal sum recovered by the plaintiff from the date of the decedent's 23 death shall be added to and be a part of the total sum awarded. 24 § 3. Section 5-4.4 of the estates, powers and trusts law, paragraph 25 (a) as amended by chapter 357 of the laws of 1975, and the opening para- 26 graph of paragraph (a) as amended by chapter 595 of the laws of 1992, is 27 amended to read as follows: 28 § 5-4.4 Distribution of damages recovered 29 (a) The damages, as prescribed by 5-4.3, whether recovered in an 30 action or by settlement without an action, are exclusively for the bene- 31 fit of the [decedent's distributees and, when collected, shall be32distributed to the persons entitled thereto under 4-1.1 and 5-4.5,33except that where the decedent is survived by a parent or parents and a34spouse and no issue, the parent or parents will be deemed to be distri-35butees for purposes of this section] persons for whose benefit the 36 action is brought, which shall be defined as and limited to the 37 decedent's spouse or domestic partner, decedent's distributees, as 38 defined by 4-1.1 of this chapter and 5-4.5 of this part, any person 39 standing in loco parentis to the decedent, and to any person to whom the 40 decedent stood in a position of in loco parentis. An in loco parentis 41 relationship shall be presumed when an adult and minor share or have 42 recently shared a household. The finder of fact shall determine which of 43 those persons for whose benefit the action is brought, as defined in 44 this paragraph, are entitled to damages under this section based upon 45 the specific circumstances relating to the person's relationship with 46 the decedent. The damages shall be distributed subject to the follow- 47 ing: 48 (1) Such damages shall be distributed by the personal representative 49 to the persons entitled thereto in proportion to the [pecuniary] inju- 50 ries suffered by them, such proportions to be determined after a hear- 51 ing, on application of the personal representative or any [distributee] 52 persons for whose benefit the action is brought, at such time and on 53 notice to all interested persons in such manner as the court may direct. 54 If no action is brought, such determination shall be made by the surro- 55 gate of the county in which letters were issued to the plaintiff; if anA. 6063 3 1 action is brought, by the court having jurisdiction of the action or by 2 the surrogate of the county in which letters were issued. 3 (2) The court which determines the proportions of the [pecuniary] 4 injuries suffered by the [distributees] persons for whose benefit the 5 action is brought, as provided in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, 6 shall also decide any question concerning the disqualification of a 7 parent, under 4-1.4 of this chapter, or a surviving spouse, under 5-1.2 8 of this article, to share in the damages recovered. 9 (b) The reasonable expenses of the action or settlement and, if 10 included in the damages recovered, the reasonable expenses of medical 11 aid, nursing and attention incident to the injury causing death and the 12 reasonable funeral expenses of the decedent may be fixed by the court 13 which determines the proportions of the [pecuniary] injuries suffered by 14 the [distributees] persons for whose benefit the action is brought, as 15 provided in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, upon notice given in 16 such manner and to such persons as the court may direct, and such 17 expenses may be deducted from the damages recovered. The commissions of 18 the personal representative upon the residue may be fixed by the surro- 19 gate, upon notice given in such manner and to such persons as the surro- 20 gate may direct or upon the judicial settlement of the account of the 21 personal representative, and such commissions may be deducted from the 22 damages recovered. 23 (c) In the event that an action is brought, as authorized in this 24 part, and there is no recovery or settlement, the reasonable expenses of 25 such unsuccessful action, excluding counsel fees, shall be payable out 26 of the assets of the decedent's estate. 27 (d) For the purposes of this section, the term "domestic partner" 28 shall have the same meaning as defined pursuant to section two thousand 29 nine hundred sixty-one of the public health law. 30 § 4. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 5-4.6 of the estates, powers 31 and trusts law, paragraph (a) as amended and paragraph (b) as added by 32 chapter 719 of the laws of 2005, are amended to read as follows: 33 (a) Within sixty days of the application of an administrator appointed 34 under 5-4.1 of this part or a personal representative to the court in 35 which an action for wrongful act, neglect or default causing the death 36 of a decedent is pending, the court shall, after inquiry into the merits 37 of the action and the amount of damages proposed as a compromise either 38 disapprove the application or approve in writing a compromise for such 39 amount as it shall determine to be adequate including approval of attor- 40 neys fees and other payable expenses as set forth below, and shall order 41 the defendant to pay all sums payable under the order of compromise, 42 within the time frames set forth in section five thousand three-a of the 43 civil practice law and rules, to the attorney for the administrator or 44 personal representative for placement in an interest bearing escrow 45 account for the benefit of the [distributees] persons for whose benefit 46 the action is brought. The order shall also provide for the following: 47 (1) Upon collection of the settlement funds and creation of an inter- 48 est bearing escrow account, the attorney for the administrator or 49 personal representative shall pay from the account all due and payable 50 expenses, excluding attorneys fees, approved by the court, such as 51 medical bills, funeral costs and other liens on the estate. 52 (2) All attorneys fees approved by the court for the prosecution of 53 the action for wrongful act, neglect or default, inclusive of all 54 disbursements, shall be immediately payable from the escrow account upon 55 submission to the trial court proof of filing of a petition for allo-A. 6063 4 1 cation and distribution in the surrogate's court on behalf of the 2 decedent's estate. 3 (3) The attorney for the administrator or personal representative in 4 the action for wrongful act, neglect or default who receives payment 5 under this section shall continue to serve as attorney for the estate 6 until the entry of a final decree in the surrogate's court. 7 (b) If any of the [distributees] persons for whose benefit the action 8 is brought is an infant, incompetent, person who is incarcerated or 9 person under disability, the court shall determine whether a guardian ad 10 litem is required before any payments are made, in which case the court 11 will seek an immediate appointment of a guardian ad litem by the surro- 12 gate's court or, if the surrogate's court defers, the court shall make 13 such appointment. Any guardian appointed for this purpose shall continue 14 to serve as the guardian ad litem for the person requiring same for all 15 other purposes. 16 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all 17 causes of action that have accrued on or after January 1, 2022.
