Employment can endanger professionals. Certain careers, including forestry and fishing-related professions, come with particularly high levels of risk. However, any professional who interacts with the public, operates machinery, travels in a motor vehicle or handles potentially dangerous substances could be at risk of a major on-the-job incident.
Workplace fatalities can be the result of equipment failures, interpersonal violence or car crashes. People may face industry-specific risks, such as a fall from an elevation at a construction site. Workers’ compensation can provide support to grieving families after a workplace fatality, much like the program provides assistance for injured professionals.
What benefits can surviving family members receive after the death of a loved one?
Medical and funeral benefits
Many on-the-job incidents that prove fatal require emergency medical care. Transportation by ambulance, trauma care at a hospital and other attempts at life-saving medical interventions can generate tens of thousands of dollars in expenses.
Workers’ compensation can potentially cover the medical costs associated with a workplace fatality. Any care received that directly relates to a job-acquired illness or injury could be eligible for full medical coverage through workers’ compensation. Losing a loved one typically means paying for a funeral. Families are eligible for reimbursement for up to $7,000 in burial or funeral expenses.
Wage replacement benefits
When professionals lose their ability to earn an income because of their employment, workers’ compensation replaces their wages. Injured employees can receive up to two-thirds of their average weekly wage while they are completely unable to work.
Grieving families can potentially receive the same amount to replace the lost wages of a deceased loved one. The duration of those benefits depends on the nature of the relationship the survivors had with the deceased professional. Spouses can receive wage replacement benefits for between five and 12 years through workers’ compensation.
The rules are slightly different for dependent children. They may be eligible for benefits until they turn 18. If they are full-time students, however, wage replacement benefits can potentially continue until they are 23.
Families already dealing with grief and the practical implications of a workplace tragedy may not have the knowledge, time or patience to manage a complicated workers’ compensation claim. Securing assistance from someone familiar with workers’ compensation benefits can help grieving families make use of the benefits in place for their protection.
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