Gov. Kathy Hochul will soon receive a controversial bill that would dramatically expand wrongful death awards in the Empire State, pressuring civil defendants and ultimately driving up the cost of goods and services for New Yorkers as a form of inflation. The Governor should veto the Grieving Families Act (Senate Bill S.74A) or at least return this radical proposal to the legislature and ask lawmakers to adopt an approach that is more mainstream.

When a person's death is caused by the wrongful act of another, New York, like all states, has a statute that provides who can bring a lawsuit and the types of damages that can be recovered. Current New York law provides that claims can be brought by the decedent's survivors, such as a spouse or parent, or another clearly defined relative entitled to share in the decedent's estate. These individuals can recover various types of pecuniary losses that are typically measurable, such as expenses for medical care related to the death, funeral costs, lost earnings, and the value of lost services.