Simultaneous Death Act Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Simultaneous Death Act.

(n) Simultaneous Death Act: A law designed to handle situations where two or more people die at the same time, typically from the same event, and it's unclear who died first. For example, if a married couple dies together in the same accident, this act impacts how their estates are handled and do not automatically pass to one another. This law may assume one party died before the other to simplify the distribution of their property and assets.