Indiana Court of Appeals Draws The Line on Death Benefits

The Indiana Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion in the case Hill v. Beta Steel Corp. In this case, the employee suffered a back injury while at work in 2004. He received worker’s compensation benefits until 2006, but in 2007 he died in his sleep. The employee’s widow sought death benefits under the Worker’s Compensation Act, but that claim was denied by the Worker’s Compensation Board. The Court of Appeals affirmed, stating that the widow was unable to prove that her husband’s death had anything to do with his work injury. This case is a good example of the concept that in order to be compensable under the Worker’s Compensation Act, and injury (or death) must arise out of and in the course of the employment. If a loved one of yours was killed on the job, call Evansville work comp attorney Charles Hewins for a free, no recovery no fee consultation.