How much will UPS pay as a death benefit to the beneficiary of an employee that is killed in an auto accident while on the job?

Answer 1

I would like to start off to tell you that I am sorry to hear about your loss, and my sympathies go out to you and your family. I would also like to mention that I make a living as a work comp adjuster for a company that insures many trucking companies, so I can speak with some authority on the subject. The actual rate depends on which state you live in and how much the employee made per year. Most states have minimum and maximum rates for compensation in death cases. Also, benefits may be different depending on if there was a surviving spouse [usually only extends to a legally married spouse] and if there were any surviving dependant children. The baseline usually for fatality and work comp cases is the average weekly wage [AWW] which is simply put the pre-tax gross weekly average, in most cases determined by the previous year of wages. The benefit rate, or comp rate, is usually 2/3rds of this, subject to the maximum rate determined by the state. Usually states have a cap on the total amount of benefits [or weeks of benefits] that can be paid out in a fatal work comp case. Technically UPS will not be paying the benefits, there work comp insurance carrier will [I'm not sure if they are self-insured or not...]. I would contact, or have someone contact the workers comp board in the state where you live and ask them what the benefits are. You can usually find the work comp website linked to the state's '.gov' site. There is usually also a burial expense benefit that can vary greatly [again it depends on the state]. Usually this would be paid lump-sum. Also, be aware that insurance companies will investigate the accident and the cause of death usually before starting benefits. Usually, they can only dispute paying benefits in a death case IF: 1. the deceased was intoxicated, 2. the deceased died of 'natural causes' which then caused the accident [EX: a heartattack]. Granted, usually these issues would then be decided through the legal process. Usaully the insurance company would pay the beneficiaries benefits weekly or bi-weekly, subject to the maximum # of weeks [usually in the 10+ year range, altough there are other conditions] unless a lump-sum settlement was arranged and agreed to. My best advice is if you are in the immediate family, have someone close [either trusted friend or extended family] be the designated 'voice' and contact the state work comp board, the insurance company, and a lawyer [if you feel you need one]. This will let the immediate family go through the grieving process without having to deal with all the technical jargon associated with the work comp process.