Legal claims filed by the partners of two lesbian women killed in a stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair last month could lead Indiana to examine how it defines survivors in wrongful death cases.



Christina Santiago of Chicago and Tammy VanDam of Wanatah, Ind., were among seven people who died after wind toppled the stage rigging before the Aug. 13 Sugarland concert. Their partners, Alisha Brennon, and Beth Urschel, were injured.



Urschel has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, and Brennon has filed a wrongful death tort claim.



Indiana’s wrongful death statute allows next of kin to collect damages. Indiana University School of Law professor Jennifer A. Drobac says those are technically people related by DNA.



But Drobac says courts could choose to define next of kin more broadly.