Under what circumstance are death benefits available in workers' compensation?

Death benefits in workers' compensation are available specifically when the injury directly causes the worker's death. This means that there must be a clear causal connection between the work-related injury and the fatal outcome. The premise of workers' compensation is to provide financial support to workers who suffer injuries due to their job duties, and this support extends to their families in the unfortunate event that the worker dies as a result of such injuries.

In cases where a worker sustains an injury on the job that ultimately leads to death, the family may be entitled to death benefits, which are designed to compensate for the loss of income and provide support in recognizing the financial burden that the family may face after the loss of the worker.

Dependents may indeed play a role in the distribution of benefits, but the fundamental eligibility for death benefits hinges on the direct causal relationship between the injury and the worker's death. Therefore, while having dependents is relevant for determining who receives the benefits, it is the nature of the injury causing the death that primarily triggers the availability of those benefits.