Most people associate workers’ compensation benefits with work injuries. If a manufacturing professional breaks an arm or injures their knee at work, workers’ compensation helps them. They receive medical benefits that can pay for their treatment. If they must take time away from work, they may qualify for disability benefits to replace their wages.
The tragic reality is that not everyone heals from work injuries or recovers from work-acquired illnesses. Some people die because of the jobs that they perform. They may either sustain fatal injuries or develop illnesses, like cancer, that prove terminal.
When that happens, their surviving dependent family members may be uncertain about what happens next. While it may be a cold comfort, grieving family members can potentially turn to workers’ compensation to limit the economic impact of their loved ones passing.
How can workers’ compensation help support those who have lost a loved one to a work-related health condition?
With medical and funeral benefits
The medical care required before a worker died could lead to a substantial financial burden for their families. Particularly in scenarios involving traumatic incidents or protracted illnesses, families may have tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.
Workers’ compensation can provide full coverage for the cost of medical treatment. The medical benefits available do not make surviving family members responsible for deductibles or co-insurance the way that health insurance might.
The workers compensation program can also help cover some of the costs of funeral and burial expenses. Currently, families can receive up to $7,000 in funeral benefits after the passing of a loved one. Those benefits can help eliminate two of the biggest sources of financial pressure on families after a tragedy.
With survival benefits
Families may also be eligible for survival benefits paid to dependent family members including children, spouses and even parents or siblings. Those benefits help replace the workers wages and provide economic relief for those who have lost the financial support of a family member.
Filing a complicated workers’ compensation benefits claim after losing a loved one can be quite difficult. Families may need help navigating the benefits program and securing the support they require after a tragedy, and that’s okay. Seeking personalized legal guidance and support is always an option.