Fatal accidents at the workplace are all too common. Industries like transportation, construction, chemical manufacturing, etc., pose a high risk of accidents to the workers. The employer is required to provide adequate equipment to ensure safety. However, accidents still happen.
If your loved one has passed away due to an accident at work, you might be able to seek workers’ compensation benefits. Experienced lawyers can help you understand what are vocational options and what kind of damages you are entitled to.
Can you receive workers’ compensation benefits after someone’s death?
Losing a loved one in a work-related accident can be devastating, especially if they were the only earning member of the family. When the sole earning member dies, the problems are multiplied because the family has to handle financial instability along with battling with their emotions and grief.
When your loved one dies in their workplace, you may be wondering what happens with their worker’s compensation benefits. Thankfully, you can apply for the benefits and get them if you fulfill the criteria. Only certain people can file a claim on behalf of the deceased, including spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.
If you fall in one of these categories, an attorney can help you start the legal procedure. You may also have to prove that you have resided with the individual in some cases.
What are the types of benefits that you can get?
While nothing can cover the loss of a loved one, workers’ compensation tries to put the deceased’s family in a position where they would be if the worker was still alive. Of course, nothing can fix the emotional loss, but it can help you become stable from a financial perspective.
Here are the types of benefits you can receive.
- Cash payment: A one-time cash payment is made to the family members if there are pension benefits.
- Funeral and burial expenses: Workers’ compensation pays for the funeral and burial expenses if the death is directly related to the job. However, the Washington law states that this amount should not exceed two hundred percent of the average monthly wages. The current amount is $5,360. Therefore, the amount should be around $11,000.
- Survivor benefits: Survivor benefits go to the spouse and the children of the deceased as they are the closest surviving members of the family. It is paid directly to the person in the form of a monthly pension.
If your family member has died because of a workplace accident, you should not have to bear the medical costs before their death or other expenses. You deserve compensation. Contact an attorney today.
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