Did your wife die while performing her job duties?

Imagine your wife works as an emergency medical technician, and she’s fearlessly performed her job — saving life after life — for the last two decades. However, on a recent trip into traffic to tend to car accident victims, the ambulance she was riding in crashed.

The accident wasn’t anyone’s fault, but tragically, your wife didn’t survive.

It’s not easy to deal with an unexpected loss, and while you and your family are struggling through the psychological aspects of your loss, money is the last thing on your mind. But several weeks later, the bills start piling up and you begin to realize how difficult it is to survive without your wife’s paycheck.

It’s time to look into your options regarding workers’ compensation death benefits — these benefits could represent the lifeline that helps your family get back on firm financial feet again.

Through the successful pursuit of workers’ compensation death benefits, New York families can receive money to replace the income they lose when a family member dies.

In order to qualify for workers’ compensation death benefits, individuals need to be financially dependent on the deceased worker. Husbands, wives and children under the age of 18 who live at home will usually be considered as dependents automatically. In some cases, children above the age of 18 who are attending college will also be able to qualify to receive death benefits.

The more you know about New York workers’ compensation law as it pertains to death benefits, the better chances you’ll have of preserving your legal right to receive death benefits after a close family member has died in the course and scope of his or her employment.