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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68103</law_id><section_number>64.2-454</section_number><catch_line>Appointment of administrator for prosecution of action for personal injury or wrongful death against or on behalf of estate of deceased resident or nonresident</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>64.2-508</reference><reference>8.01-262</reference><reference>8.01-606</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="64.2">Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Wills and Decedents' Estates</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Wills</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Probate</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>An administrator may be appointed in any case in which it is represented that either a <span class="dictionary">civil action</span> for personal injury or death by wrongful act, or both, arising within the Commonwealth is contemplated against or on behalf of the estate or the beneficiaries of the estate of a resident or nonresident of the Commonwealth who has died within or outside the Commonwealth if at least 60 days have elapsed since the decedent&#x2019;s death and an executor or administrator of the estate has not been appointed under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Grant of administration with the will annexed" href="/64.2-500/">64.2-500</a> or <a class="law" title="Grant of administration of intestate estate" href="/64.2-502/">64.2-502</a>, solely for the purpose of <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> or defense of any such actions, by the clerk of a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. An administrator appointed pursuant to this section may <span class="dictionary">prosecute</span> actions for both personal injury and death by wrongful act.
		If a <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span> has been appointed in a foreign <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>, the <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span> may qualify as administrator. The appointment of a <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span> in a foreign <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> shall not preclude a resident or nonresident from qualifying as an administrator for the purposes of maintaining a wrongful death action pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Action for death by wrongful act; how and when to be brought" href="/8.01-50/">8.01-50</a> or a personal injury action in the Commonwealth.
		A resident and nonresident may be appointed as coadministrators.</p></section></text><history>1970, c. 475, &#xA7; 64.1-75.1; 2001, c. 376; 2003, c. 265; 2012, c. 614; 2014, c. 528; 2015, cc. 124, 129, 130; 2024, cc. 50, 340.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
