Insurance

Although it's not something that most workers ever think about but it's a sad fact that an injury due to an accident at work can lead to a fatality either instantly or at some time in the immediate future. Under such circumstances, it's the immediate family that is left behind to pick up the pieces and try to get on with life. It is the family that is left coping with the trauma of losing a loved one as well as the financial burden of losing what in most cases is the main income of a household. It goes without saying that this can be a very difficult situation to deal with which can sometimes be made even more miserable if they should end up having to fight the company's insurers when filing workers' compensation claims.

One of the biggest problems that anyone faces when making this type of claim is that usually they will have to go through a company's insurance provider to process a claim and receive a damages award. As we all know insurance companies can be a little on the slow side when it comes to settling claims especially anything that may result in a large payment. It is bad enough that the family may struggle coming to terms with the loss of a husband/wife but having to deal with an insurance company that are somewhat reluctant to pay up just compounds their misery.

In most cases and under normal circumstances a family that is left mourning the loss of a family member due to an accident or injuries suffered at work are entitled to file for workers' compensation claims such as death benefits. Death benefits are usually available to dependants and/or direct descendants of the deceased. Death benefits are made to give the family monetary support and are payable to those who have been most affected by the financial loss and those that are finding it the most difficult to carry on a normal life.

In cases where death has occurred due to injuries suffered in the workplace how the family relationship is made up, in other words how those left behind are directly related to the deceased can be a deciding factor in who is eligible to receive payment. Because the laws in different states and territories do differ there may be strict guidelines in place on how the family relationship is determined. Some states can be very strict denying some family members whilst others can be more lenient. In some regions, the law will be based rather more on guidelines more so than on strict rules. It can be that unmarried partners, stepchildren, in-laws even unrelated persons that were living and financially dependent on the deceased may be eligible to a reward.

Under workers' compensation claims when a family member loses their life at work the family left behind will normally find that payments will take shape in two different ways. Firstly, there will be payment for any funeral expenses incurred. The second payment is made to aid the family with everyday living expenses. These are commonly called support payments, and depending on what type of compensation scheme the company have in place there may also be provision for a lump sum payment.