The families of employees who die due to a workplace accident or occupational illness are entitled to the following death benefits under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act: Which family members can get benefits? A surviving spouse, Children under 18, Children under 23 enrolled full time in an accredited educational institution, Parents in destitute circumstances Other …
Disabled widows and widowers
Normally, the widow just gets 400 weeks (now 500 weeks) in wage benefits from the date of death of the worker. But if the widow or widower is disabled, then the widow or widower gets benefits for the rest of his or her lifetime unless they remarry.
Those who are considered a dependent for worker’s compensation purposes are not necessarily going to be the same as for other situations. There are separate laws for when someone dies with a will, without a will, through the wrongful death of another and through a work-related injury or illness. Do not assume that because you are a dependent for one situation that you will be a dependent for worker’s compensation death cases. And don’t assume the opposite either – meaning that if you’re not a dependent for non-work matters that you won’t be a dependent for a worker’s compensation case.
When it can be shown that the decedent’s death was related to the worker’s job injury or occupational illness, the beneficiaries are entitled to death benefits according to the following priorities, according to NCGS 97-39:
1. Persons who are wholly dependent on the deceased employee’s earnings for support at the time of the accident get the full compensation benefits in equal shares and nobody else has a claim.
The first thing the statute (North Carolina General Statutes: 97-38) looks to, when the cause of death is related to the worker’s work injury or occupational illness, is the timing of the death in relation to the injury or illness. If the timing was within six years of the date of the injury or illness or within two years of the final disability determination date (whichever is later), then the statute dictates who gets the money as follows:
North Carolina General Statute 97-37 deals with a situation where the injured worked dies before all his/her compensation is paid. If the cause of death is unrelated to the worker’s injury then the funds are paid in the following order:
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If you are looking at this site, you or a loved one has probably been hurt. If that's true, you've come to the right place. Helping people who have been hurt is what we do. In fact, it is all we do. Joe Miller Law is a law firm concentrating exclusively on representing people who are injured by the carelessness of others or those hurt on the job. We provide the highest quality legal services to people who have been seriously injured. We practice Personal Injury law and Workmens' Compensation law in both Virginia and North Carolina.
