How does workers’ compensation help families after a fatal work accident?

The risks people take on the job are offset by the protections that they have through workers’ compensation insurance. The benefits they can claim help protect them from financial struggles related to a work injury or illness. 

There are few times when workers’ compensation benefits are as important as when someone unexpectedly dies on the job. Their family members may be left worrying about medical bills, funeral expenses and how they will ever pay their mortgage in the future. 

Just like workers’ compensation will take care of an employee when they get hurt on the job, so too will benefits help protect the surviving family members of a California worker who dies either on the job or due to a workplace illness. 

What do death benefits from workers’ compensation include?

Death benefits through workers’ compensation come in two primary forms. The first is as a regular source of income replacement that is paid to a victim’s survivors. Family members can typically claim the same amount that a worker would have received for total disability. 

Family members can continue to claim those benefits for years — until they either reach the maximum benefit amount allowed based on their family size or no longer meet the criteria to receive those benefits.  Additionally, workers’ compensation will cover the costs of funeral services and burials, up to a maximum benefit of $10,000. 

The better you understand the benefits available to your family, the easier it will be for you to file a claim for those benefits after a tragic outcome from a workplace injury. Having experienced legal assistance can help you avoid or overcome complications with your claim.