If a loved one dies after sustaining a work injury in New Jersey, people may wonder how they will care for their family. In this situation, a family can usually receive death benefits.
People typically can receive death benefits if they are a dependent of the deceased loved one. According to the State of New Jersey, this means someone was a part of the deceased’s household before he or she died. If someone is a full-time student younger than 23, he or she may also be eligible for these death benefits. Children in a family who have mental or physical disabilities may also receive these benefits. If people were not living with their loved one when he or she died from the injury, they sometimes may need to prove that they are a dependent.
Death benefits are usually weekly payments a family receives. A judge typically considers the number of dependents the deceased has and then divides these payments among the other dependents. These benefits usually cover the funeral expenses of the deceased loved one. People generally receive about $3,500 to help them pay for a funeral.
Sometimes people may also be able to receive death benefits from the Social Security of their deceased loved one. FindLaw says that in some situations, the dependents might receive a one-time payment. This usually depends on how long the deceased worked before incurring the injury that led to his or her death. Families usually have about two years to apply for this payment. It is important for people to remember that death benefits may sometimes be considered taxable income if people also have an additional income that exceeds a certain amount.