Legally speaking, a wrongful death is a death that was caused by some breach of the law. It's most often due to negligence -- a type of breach of a civil duty. Each of us has a duty to take reasonable care in doing things that might affect our fellow citizens. For example, when driving, we have a duty to take reasonable care behind the wheel. Failing in that duty is called negligence by the law.
Wrongful deaths may also be caused by behavior that's not negligent, but is illegal, wrongful, willful or reckless. For example, the manufacturer of a food item that caused food poisoning may have taken reasonable care. But because the law holds makers of consumer products to higher standards, any death from that food poisoning could still be considered a wrongful death. Intentional criminal behavior can also result in a wrongful death.
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