Scott Seaman, Philip Kujawa, and William Cook Author Chapters in Seventh Edition of IICLE Handbook on Wrongful-Death and Survival Actions

On December 12, 2022, the Illinois Institute For Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) published the seventh edition of Wrongful-Death and Survival Actions. Scott Seaman, a Chicago-based partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Insurance Services Practice Group developed the book and has served as general editor and a contributing author since the book was originally released in 1992. The book has served as a valuable resource for practitioners and judges for thirty years.

In this latest edition, Seaman, Chicago-based partner Philip Kujawa, and associate William Cook were co-authors of the chapters on Wrongful-Death Actions and the Illinois Wrongful Death Act (Chapter 1), Damages in Wrongful-Death Actions (Chapter 2), Conflicts of Laws and Jurisdictional Issues in Wrongful-Death Actions (Chapter 3), Family Member Liabilities, Remedies, and Immunities (Chapter 5), and the Appendix of forms, pleadings, and checklists (Chapter 7). 

In the preface, Seaman puts the defense and prosecution of wrongful-death and survival actions in historical context and in context with current societal trends and legal dynamics. The book provides the substantive law, evidentiary rules, and damages parameters to successfully prosecute or defend wrongful-death and survival actions. It provides insights and guidance for practitioners throughout the life of a case from intake and evaluation to pleadings, discovery, trial preparation, and trial. It contains draft pleading examples, draft discovery, and useful checklists (including pre-filing considerations, claim information requirements, potential defenses, deposition preparation, and trial preparation lists) that can be tailored for use in specific cases.

The book is available in soft cover and as an e-book and is available for purchase at https://www.iicle.com/23wdsa