When someone dies on the job, workers’ compensation provides income benefits to surviving family members who were dependent upon their deceased loved one for their livelihood.
As with all workers’ compensation claims, specific requirements and deadlines must be met to receive survivor benefits in a work-related fatality case.
The sooner you seek help from an attorney who is qualified and knowledgeable enough to handle these cases, the sooner you can begin the process of collecting the benefits that you need and deserve.
Who is Eligible to Recover Benefits When a Workplace Death Occurs?
Work-related deaths involve special provisions of Florida workers’ compensation benefit laws which outline who can recover workers’ compensation benefits.
In addition to providing income benefits, these provisions provide compensation to cover funeral costs, burial expenses and more.
When deciding whether benefits are owed to a dependent, the insurance company considers many factors, including the claimant’s relationship to the deceased worker and whether the family members seeking benefits were financially dependent upon their loved one for support.
With the help of attorneys Stephen Berlin and team, we can determine if you qualify to recover benefits and for how long.
For example:
- Widowed spouses may recover death benefits up to $150,000
- Minor children of the deceased employee may recover income benefits until they reach the age of 18 (or the age of 22 if they are full-time students)
- Dependent parents of a worker killed on the job may also recover benefits under certain circumstances, but these may be less than a spouse or dependent child would have received