Those who are left behind after a nursing home wrongful death accident have a very natural concern about who receives the money paid as part of a wrongful death settlement or judgment in a wrongful death lawsuit. To some extent, that will depend on whether there is a will or not and whether we are talking about the wrongful death or survival portions of the case. The money from the settlement, which is allocated to the survival portion, is an asset of the estate because it compensates the decedent for what he/she experienced prior to death. That means that when there is a will, the money must be distributed in accordance with it. If there is no will, then the Illinois Probate Act determines where the money will be distributed.If you have any questions regarding your Illinois nursing home case, we are here to answer them. We encourage you to contact us now and speak with one of our experienced Chicago nursing home lawyers.