Benefits are available to help protect your family’s future
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation death benefits provide financial support to families affected by the death of a loved one in a work-related injury or due to a work-related illness.
If you have lost a spouse or loved one due to a work injury or an occupational illness that they contracted during the scope of their regular job responsibilities in their Philadelphia workplace, you may be entitled to file for a claim to receive death benefits from their employer’s workers compensation insurance.
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act requires that all PA employers carry workers’ compensation insurance for all of their employees. Workers compensation insurance covers all full time, part time and seasonal employees from the first day of their employment.
If you have lost a loved one in a tragic work-related accident or due to a sudden onset or long-term occupational disease, contact the workers’ compensation law firm who has been protecting Philadelphia workers for more than 60 years. Munley Law knows workers comp law and we will fight for your right to receive death benefits to help you financially recover from the loss of your spouse or other family member.
If you have lost a loved one in a tragic work accident injury or due to a catastrophic occupational disease that they contracted during their regular job-related duties, you may be entitled to financial support through the benefits provided by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance mandated by the Pennsylvania workers compensation act.
If you have lost a loved one due to a workplace accident or illness in Philly, call our Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys today for a no-cost consultation. Chat live, email us, or call our Philadelphia office for a free consultation.
How Many Deaths Happened in Philadelphia Workplaces?
According to a report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 5,200 occupational deaths in the US in 2021. Nearly 600 people in Pennsylvania lost their lives to a work accident or illness in the same year.
Accidents and illnesses can happen in any working environment. A deadly workplace injury can occur due to a trip over an everyday office object such as an exposed cable. A fatal accident can happen at any time, at any workplace but some job sites are a higher risk for employees. The highest number of reported workplace deaths in PA occurred in the most recent reporting year in the following industries:
- Private transportation and material moving
- Warehousing sector
- Private construction sector
- Extraction sector
The most common accident types include:
- Falls, slips, and trips
- Contact with objects or equipment
- Transportation incidents
- Exposure to harmful substances or environments
Losing a loved one is always devastating, but when you were financially dependent on the deceased worker, your life changes dramatically in so many other ways. Eligible family members of a deceased worker who want to file a claim for death benefits should contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible.
Contact our Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys for your free case evaluation. An experienced lawyer can help you receive maximum benefits for your tragic loss.
How do I file for PA Workers’ Compensation Death Benefits?
When a loved one is fatally injured at work, the injury can result in immediate death. Sometimes, the person dies later, after medical intervention and hospitalization have failed.
A work-related illness can come on suddenly or it can be an ongoing fight that your loved one ultimately lost.
Regardless of how you lost your spouse or other loved one when they died, your family life was likely completely upended.
You are dealing not only with the grief from your loss but you are also faced with the pressures of making funeral plans, dealing with the financial hit from losing the worker’s wages, and more.
When a loved one dies as a result of a work accident or illness, you need to act quickly to ensure you can remain eligible to receive death benefits from the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance.
Notify the deceased worker’s employer as soon as you decide to file your claim for death benefits through their workers’ compensation insurer.
Our Philadelphia workers’ compensation law firm can help. Your case evaluation is free. We can explain all of the deadlines you need to meet, the paperwork you need to file, and the maximum benefit you might be entitled to under PA law.
Which Workplace Deaths Qualify for Benefits?
The turmoil following a loved one’s death can be a confusing time. Trying to determine what you might be entitled to under state law to help you financially through this difficult period can cause a lot of anxiety and pain.
Know that you are eligible to collect death benefits through a workers comp claim in Philadelphia, as long as your loved one’s death was directly caused by a work-related illness or injury or when a work-related illness or accident contributed to their death.
It is not required that the death occur while the employee is physically at work, such as during a catastrophic workplace accident. Even if an injured or sick worker dies months or years later, if the death is directly related to the work-related injury or illness, you may still collect death benefits.
Take two very different scenarios:
- Your loved one works in a warehouse that houses potentially dangerous chemicals and there is an explosion at the factory and your loved one is killed immediately on-site.
- Your spouse works in an environment with dangerous chemicals which are known to cause certain cancers to people who have been exposed to them. Later, after a long illness, your spouse dies as a result of a cancer affiliated with exposure to this chemical.
In both instances, surviving eligible family members can legally collect Pennsylvania workers’ compensation death benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do workers’ compensation death benefits cover?
Eligible survivors are entitled to financial help to cover a percentage of the decedent’s lost wages, and their medical bills, including trips to the emergency room, funeral and burial or cremation costs.
My loved one had a pre-existing condition. Can I file a claim for death benefits?
Even if your loved one had other medical conditions that were not related to their work, you still may be eligible for death benefits if the work injury or disease caused by working conditions contributed to your loved one’s death.
Who is eligible to receive Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits?
The surviving spouse and children of the worker who has died are eligible for death benefits in Philadelphia. Sometimes, other family members who were financially dependent on the worker such as totally dependent parents, or surviving siblings such as dependent brothers or sisters can collect death benefits.
Proving dependency for anyone besides the spouse or dependent children can be difficult. Contact an experienced attorney to help.
Pennsylvania provides funeral benefits in the amount of $3,000 to the family of the decedent. Regular weekly death benefits or bi-weekly payments to survivors may also be paid based on the deceased worker’s wages at the time of their death.
Your Philadelphia Workers’ compensation Attorneys
Munley attorneys are nationally recognized for our record-setting awards for our clients. We are committed to helping you put your life together after a tragic occupational-related death. If you have lost a loved one due to a workplace accident or illness in Philly, call our Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyer today for a no-cost consultation. You don’t pay until we win your case.
Philadelphia Practice Areas
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
1617 John F Kennedy Blvd
Suite 1690,
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 515-7747
