Source or prior law:

G.S. 1868, ch. 80, § 420; L. 1909, ch. 182, § 417; R.S. 1923, 60-3201; L. 1939, ch. 233, § 1.

Cross References to Related Sections:

Substitution of parties, see 60-225.

Law Review and Bar Journal References:

"Survival of Actions and Wrongful Death," Lawrence E. Curfman, 12 K.L.R. 21 (1963).

Discussing wrongful death act, Robert C. Casad, 13 K.L.R. 515, 522 (1965).

Discussion of various medical and legal definitions of death; basic criteria for legal concept are cessation of "vital functions," cessation of respiration and circulation and impossibility of resuscitation. M. Martin Halley and William F. Harvey, 60 J.K.M.S. 280, 281 (1968).

"Assignability of Insured's Cause of Action for Bad Faith or Negligent Refusal to Settle," John T. Flannagan, 38 J.B.A.K. 297, 324, 325 (1969).

Comment discussing recovery of decedent's loss of earnings in wrongful death and survival actions, 13 W.L.J. 174, 176 (1974).

Wrongful Death Act, Jeraldine B. Davis, 27 K.L.R. 141, 145 (1978).

"Euthanasia: A Medical and Legal Overview," Howard N. Ward, 49 J.B.A.K. 317, 325 (1980).

"A Plain English Approach to Loss of Future Earning Capacity," Evelyn Esther Zabel, 24 W.L.J. 253, 256 (1985).

"Maximizing Recovery under the Kansas Wrongful Death Act," Mark V. Parkinson, Vol. VIII, No. 3, J.K.T.L.A. 21 (1984).

"Give a Kid a Chance," Michael D. Hepperly, XIV J.K.T.L.A. No. 1, 11 (1990).

"Creating Diversity Jurisdiction in Kansas Wrongful Death Cases: An Analysis of Tank v. Chronister," Patrick A. Hamilton, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XXIII, No. 1, 12 (1999).

"Making the Most Out of the Cap: Maximizing Non-Economic Damages," Bradley J. Prochaska, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. 29, No. 6, 8 (2006).

CASE ANNOTATIONS

Prior law cases, see G.S. 1949, 60-3201 and the 1961 Supp. thereto.

1. Mentioned in holding revived action filed within two year statute of limitations. Finn, Administratrix v. Veatch, 195 Kan. 13, 14, 403 P.2d 189.

2. Proper party to bring wrongful death action under Kansas law should be determined by Kansas federal district court; case transferred from Colorado. Chenoweth v. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Co., 229 F. Supp. 540, 543.

3. Mentioned in holding revived action filed within two year statute of limitations. Finn, Administratrix v. Veatch, 195 Kan. 13, 14, 403 P.2d 189. Reversed, 195 Kan. 410, 407 P.2d 535.

4. Cause of action under G.S. 1949, 60-3201 survived. Thompson v. Bennett, Administrator, 196 Kan. 129, 131, 410 P.2d 291.

5. Survival of action in tort and in contract; when action accrues. Price, Administrator v. Holmes, 198 Kan. 100, 102, 106, 422 P.2d 976.

6. Statutes in pari materia must be construed together. Flowers, Administratrix v. Marshall, Administrator, 208 Kan. 900, 902, 903, 494 P.2d 1184.

7. Mentioned; must be conscious pain and suffering where action is for damages for pain and suffering before death. Nichols v. Marshall, 486 F.2d 791, 792.

8. Applied in construing no fault insurance act provisions (K.S.A. 40-3109 and 40-3113); insurer's right to reimbursement and indemnity determined. Farm & City Ins. Co. v. American Standard Ins. Co., 220 Kan. 325, 337, 552 P.2d 1363.

9. Section applied; award for wrongful death affirmed. Scheuler v. Aamco Transmissions, Inc., 1 Kan. App. 2d 525, 571 P.2d 48.

10. Decedent's interest not extinguished, but appeal dismissed; no motion for substitution filed. Buettner v. Unruh, 7 Kan. App. 2d 359, 642 P.2d 124 (1982).

11. Action to establish paternity and obtain support by illegitimate child does not survive the death of the putative father. Gross v. VanLerberg, 7 Kan. App. 2d 99, 100, 109, 638 P.2d 365. Reversed: 231 Kan. 401, 402, 404, 405, 646 P.2d 471 (1982).

12. Distinguished from wrongful death statute. Mason v. Gerin Corp., 231 Kan. 718, 721, 647 P.2d 1340 (1982).

13. Cause under civil rights act based on conspiracies (42 U.S.C. §§ 1985, 1986) and death by wrongful act (42 U.S.C. § 1983) survives hereunder; cause based upon race (42 U.S.C. § 1981) is personal and abates at death. Carter v. City of Emporia, Kan., 543 F. Supp. 354, 356, 357 (1982).

14. Cited in dissent; discussion of double recovery by heirs through survival action hereunder and wrongful death action (K.S.A. 60-1901 et seq.) arising out of single act of wrongdoing. Ingram v. Howard-Needles-Tammen & Bergendoff, 234 Kan. 289, 301, 672 P.2d 1083 (1983).

15. Act cited in suit for injuries in shooting by state parolee at K.U. Medical Center. Beck v. Kansas University Psychiatry Foundation, 580 F. Supp. 527, 531 (1984).

16. Cited; question of whether decedent's death or damage to vehicle in collision occurred first irrelevant; statute applicable. Fogarty v. Campbell 66 Exp., Inc., 640 F. Supp. 953, 964 (1986).

17. Cited by dissent where court declared oral divorce decree ineffective in death of party precedes filing of judgment. In re Marriage of Wilson, 13 Kan. App. 2d 291, 294, 768 P.2d 835 (1989).

18. Decedent's suit survives to decedent's personal representative, not to the heirs. Hembree v. Tinnin, 807 F. Supp. 109, 110 (1992).

19. Heir not acting as representative of estate may bring wrongful death action against nonresident state doctor on diversity grounds. Marler v. Hiebert, 960 F. Supp. 253, 254 (1997).

20. Personal privacy exemption of KORA (K.S.A. 45-221(a)(30)) not applicable to district coroner's records; no survival of privacy invasion action hereunder. Burroughs v. Thomas, 23 Kan. App. 2d 769, 772, 937 P.2d 12 (1997).

21. Issue whether deceased experienced conscious pain and suffering before death precluded summary judgment on survival claim. Garay v. Missouri Pacific R. Co., 38 F. Supp. 2d 892 (1999).

22. Plaintiff's state fair credit reporting act claim did not survive death of plaintiff. Lowe v. Experian, 340 F. Supp. 2d 1170, 1174 (2004).

23. Cause of action for personal injury to person survives death of that person. Bonura v. Sifers, 39 Kan. App. 2d 617, 629, 181 P.3d 1277 (2008).

24. Cited; if decedent dies before tort damages occur, a tort cause of action does not survive the decedent. Jeanes v. Bank of America, 40 Kan. App. 2d 281, 288-291, 294, 295, 299-302, 305, 191 P.3d 325 (2008).

25. Damages for injury to reputation do not survive the death of plaintiff before judgment becomes final. Valadez v. Emmis Communications, 290 Kan. 472, 229 P.3d 389 (2010).

26. Punitive damages not available to plaintiffs in wrongful death case where plaintiffs had dropped their survival claims. Stonebarger v. Union Pac. R.R., 76 F. Supp. 3d 1228, 1250 (D. Kan. 2015).

27. Defendant's duties toward administrator arose from contractual duties to monitor and respond, not from Kansas common law. M.F. v. ADT, Inc., 357 F. Supp. 3d 1116, 1137 (D. Kan. 2018).