Denver Dependency and Death Benefits Lawyers
When a workplace injury is fatal, the dependents of the deceased individual are legally entitled to death benefits, which generally include compensation for their loved one’s funeral and burial costs, as well as for the future earnings lost due to the untimely death. In fact, according to Colorado workers’ compensation law:
- The dependents of a person who has sustained a fatal workplace injury will be entitled to compensation in the amount of 67
percent of the deceased individual’s income (or the maximum set by the state of Colorado) (per 8-42-114). - If there are no dependents of the deceased individual, then the death benefits will typically be limited to compensation covering funeral costs and outstanding medical bills, as well as any accrued benefits that accumulated between the time of the injury and the death (if the injury didn’t immediately result in death) (8-42-115).
- If a decedent died as a result of a non-work-related injury and was receiving workers’ compensation benefits at the time of his death (and if his dependents relied on these benefits), then the dependents may receive a portion of these benefits that would have been paid to the decedent if he had survived (8-42-116).
There are other stipulations for dependency and death benefits in Colorado, and an experienced attorney can help elucidate when dependents are entitled to these benefits.
When It Is Time to Stand Up to Insurance Companies
Despite the fact that Colorado law entitles dependents to death benefits, in practice, insurance companies will often try to reduce the amount of these payouts or to flat out deny death benefit claims altogether in order to protect their own profits at the expense of grieving families.
Some of the specific ways in which insurers may try to deny or undervalue death benefit claims include by attempting to claim that:
- The individuals seeking death benefits are not the proper legal dependents.
- The fatal injury did not occur while the decedent was working or on the clock.
- The decedent’s fatal injury was caused by the decedent’s intentional disregard for workplace safety rules and regulations.
Help Obtaining Dependency and Death Benefits
If you have lost a loved one due to a fatal work-related injury, the skilled Denver death benefits attorneys at the Bisset Law Firm want you to know that we are here to help you and your family obtain the benefits you need and deserve. Our experienced legal professionals are dedicated to providing each of our clients with the highest quality legal representation, keeping each of our clients informed at every stage of their cases and, ultimately, helping them obtain the best possible results for their cases.
By working with our esteemed Denver workers’ compensation lawyers, our clients can rely on us to work relentlessly to keep their cases moving, communicate any new developments in the progress of their case and meet all of their case deadlines in order to help them secure the maximum possible compensation for their losses. Additionally, each of our clients can count on us to provide them with clear, honest answers regarding:
- The strengths and weaknesses of their case
- Their choices and possibilities for moving forward
- Their best options when it comes to either accepting a settlement or seeing their case through trial.
While we offer knowledgeable, superior counsel to anyone seriously injured on the job, some of our other key strengths include our fierce negotiating skills, our extensive trial experience and our readiness to take decisive action when the denial or delay of a workers’ compensation claim is finally overruled.
Consult with the Denver Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at the Bisset Law Firm
Contact the Denver workers’ compensation lawyers at the Bisset Law Firm by calling (303) 894-8900 to learn more about your rights and receive a professional evaluation of your case.
