What is the difference between civil and criminal cases brought regarding someones wrongful death?
A criminal case occurs when the government seeks to punish someone for an act that is classified as a crime. A civil case has to do with the rights and duties that individuals and organizations legally owe each other. The burden of proof is much higher in a criminal case, and the penalty can be imprisonment. In a civil wrongful death case, the defendant, if he loses, will have a monetary judgment entered against him. You can be found not guilty criminally but be found liable for wrongful death in a civil case.
