Hinshaw Partners Contribute Chapters to “Wrongful-Death and Survival Actions” IICLE Handbook

Hinshaw partners Scott Seaman, Philip Kujawa, and William (Bill) Cook VI have co-authored six of the seven total chapters in the newly released 2026 edition of the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) “Wrongful-Death and Survival Actions” handbook.

IICLE, the leading provider of continuing legal education in Illinois since 1961, publishes resources designed to support and educate Illinois attorneys on the latest developments in the legal profession.

About the Handbook

Scott Seaman originated the handbook and has served as its general editor and a contributing author since its initial publication in 1992. For more than 30 years, it has served as a trusted resource for practitioners and judges.

The new eighth edition of this handbook provides the substantive law, evidentiary standards, and damages framework needed to prosecute or defend wrongful-death and survival actions with confidence. It walks practitioners through each stage of the case, from intake and evaluation to pleadings, discovery, trial preparation, and trial.

It also includes practical, time-saving resources, such as sample pleadings and discovery materials, along with adaptable checklists covering key prefiling issues, required claim information, potential defenses, deposition preparation, and trial-readiness tasks.

Individual Chapter Contributions

The following chapters were co-authored by Hinshaw attorneys, covering a range of insights on wrongful-death actions, Illinois law, and guidance for practitioners:

• • Chapter 1: “Wrongful-Death Actions and the Illinois Wrongful Death Act”
  • Chapter 2: “Damages in Wrongful-Death Actions”
  • Chapter 3: “Conflicts of Laws and Jurisdictional Issues in Wrongful-Death Actions”
  • Chapter 4: “Survival Actions and the Illinois Survival Statute”
  • Chapter 5: “Family Member Liabilities, Remedies, and Immunities”
  • Chapter 7: “Appendix”