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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>56850</law_id><section_number>8.01-25</section_number><catch_line>Survival of causes of action</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>64.2-520</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Actions</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Survival and Assignment of Causes of Actions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Every <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> whether legal or <span class="dictionary">equitable</span>, which is cognizable in the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall survive either the <span class="dictionary">death</span> of the <span class="dictionary">person</span> against whom the <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> is or may be asserted, or the <span class="dictionary">death</span> of the <span class="dictionary">person</span> in whose favor the <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> existed, or the <span class="dictionary">death</span> of both such <span class="dictionary">persons</span>. Provided that in such an action punitive <span class="dictionary">damages</span> shall not be awarded after the <span class="dictionary">death</span> of the <span class="dictionary">party</span> liable for the injury. Provided, further, that if the <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> asserted by the decedent in his lifetime was for a personal injury and such decedent dies as a result of the injury complained of with a timely action for <span class="dictionary">damages</span> arising from such injury pending, the action shall be amended in accordance with the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="When right of action not to determine nor action to abate" href="/8.01-56/">8.01-56</a>.
		As used in this section, the term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">death</span>&#x201D; shall include the <span class="dictionary">death</span> of an individual or the termination or dissolution of any other entity.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 8-628; 1950, p. 948; 1952, c. 378; 1954, c. 607; 1964, c. 34; 1977, c. 617.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
