How do families cover funeral costs after a workplace death?

California has some of the best laws for workers in the country. These cover everything from workplace safety rules to overtime rules for work. Unfortunately, even with laws in place to protect workers, tragedies do still occur on the job. 

Those who drive for a living could get into a car crash while on the clock. Someone who works in agriculture could suffer fatal injuries in a machinery accident, as could a worker in a manufacturing facility. Workers exposed to carcinogens could become sick and die from cancer. 

Funerals are very expensive, and they consume all of someone’s life insurance or family savings account. How does a family living paycheck-to-paycheck handle the unexpected cost of a funeral when a loved one dies that work?

Workers’ compensation cover at least some funeral costs

Your family’s heritage and prior arrangements for burial services will affect how much of an impact an unexpected funeral has on finances. In California, a service with burial will cost $7,290 on average. If the family chooses cremation instead, the average cost drops to $4,808. 

Provided that your family’s funeral costs don’t exceed those average expenses, you can count on workers’ compensation to help you handle those costs. The state will reimburse families for up to $10,000 worth of funeral and burial expenses if someone dies because of an injury or an illness acquired on the job. You may have to pay or finance the funeral and apply for reimbursement. 

Learning about workers’ compensation benefits will help your family get the benefits it deserves after a tragedy on the job.