In determining the eligibility for death benefits when a worker dies, North Carolina places first priority on whole dependents. Partial dependents get second priority and the Next of Kin get third priority. The North Carolina Worker’s Compensation statute excludes parents who abandon their child from being a next of kin. When there are no dependents and no next of kin, then nobody gets any of the comp benefits even if the worker left all the money in a Will to a non-relative.
nc wrongful death
North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Law when the Death is Not Related to the Work Injury
North Carolina General Statute 97-37 deals with a situation where the injured worked dies before all his/her compensation is paid. If the cause of death is unrelated to the worker’s injury then the funds are paid in the following order:
Death Benefits in North Carolina Workers Comp Cases
Workers’ compensation death cases are generally subject to less negotiation than non-death cases, i.e. regular work injuries. This is mainly because the workers’ compensation statutes for North Carolina dictate how much money is available. Unlike non-death cases, there is no need to figure medical bills because there simply aren’t any future bills by reason of the workers’ death.
