Indiana Work Comp Death Benefits Attorneys – Call for Free Consultation

Securing Death Benefits for Survivors

Indiana worker's comp laws provide death benefits for a surviving spouse or children when an employee dies because of an on-the-job accident. These payouts include funeral and burial expenses and 500 weeks of death benefits which may be payable in a lump sum. If you have lost a loved one due to a fatal work injury, contact a lawyer from Wagner Reese & Crossen to learn about your rights under Indiana work comp law. Schedule your free initial consultation today.

Leading worker's comp lawyers

At the Carmel law firm of Wagner Reese & Crossen, our attorneys are among the foremost worker's compensation lawyers in the state, often lecturing to other attorneys throughout the state. In fact, over half of our cases are referred to our law firm from other attorneys. We have handled thousands of work injury cases since 1997, helping injured workers collect the maximum benefits possible. We can also help you pursue a third-party injury claim if your accident was caused by a third party who was not a fellow employee: a subcontractor, general contractor, or product manufacturer, for example.

The importance of working with experienced attorneys

Here are a few reasons why it helps to have an experienced attorney while seeking death benefits under Indiana worker's compensation law, even if the claim has been accepted as compensable:

• Lump sum award negotiations — Because the worker's compensation death benefits terminate in certain circumstances (such as if the surviving spouse remarries) it may be in the survivor’s best interests to negotiate a lump sum award. Often times, you may want the flexibility of a lump sum award instead of small payments over 10 years. We have successfully negotiated settlements of all types, including lump sum awards in death cases. We can advise you about the advantages and drawbacks of this approach.
• Representing survivors when an autopsy is requested — If the employer and insurance company are fighting the award, they may request an autopsy. Their purpose in doing this is to determine whether drugs or alcohol played any role in the death, or whether the death way caused by some other medical condition, giving them a cause to deny the death benefit claim. It is especially important to have legal representation if an autopsy has been requested.
• Helping survivors who were not immediate family of the deceased — We have helped people who were dependent on the deceased — but not an immediate family member — obtain death benefits. The key in such cases is demonstrating economic dependency. If the survivors received groceries, rides and rent money from the deceased, they may eligible for death benefits as a “dependent-in-fact.”

Contact Us

If you have lost a loved one in a workplace accident, contact an experienced lawyer to learn about your right to death benefits under the Indiana Worker's Compensation law. Call Wagner Reese & Crossen toll-free at 888-676-1598.