---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-4-5. Recovery by personal representative for wrongful death and for certain expenses.
collection: code
id: 51-4-5
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-4-5 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-4-5
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-4-5.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-4-5/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6b891965_0#page=509
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-4.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-4-4.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-4-6.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: TORTS / WRONGFUL DEATH
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-4-5. Recovery by personal representative for wrongful death and for certain expenses.

(a) When there is no person entitled to bring an action for the wrongful death of a decedent under Code Section 51-4-2 or 51-4-4, the administrator or executor of the decedent may bring an action for and may recover and hold the amount recovered for the benefit of the next of kin. In any such case the amount of the recovery shall be the full value of the life of the decedent.

(b) When death of a human being results from a crime or from criminal or other negligence, the personal representative of the deceased person shall be entitled to recover for the funeral, medical, and other necessary expenses resulting from the injury and death of the deceased person.

## History

Ga. L. 1924, p. 60, § 1; Code 1933, §§ 105-1309, 105-1310; Ga. L. 1952, p. 245, § 1; Ga. L. 1969, p. 762, § 1; Ga. L. 1980, p. 1154, § 3; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1253, § 3.

## Law Reviews

For article surveying torts law, see 34 Mercer L. Rev. 271 (1982). For survey article on wills, trusts, guardianships, and fiduciary administration, see 59 Mercer L. Rev. 447 (2007).

For note, ‘‘Piercing the Marital Veil: Interspousal Tort Immunity After Harris v. Harris,’’ see 36 Mercer L. Rev. 1013 (1985).