In a workers' compensation claim for death benefits, the insurance carrier can be held liable to reimburse for eligible funeral and burial expenses
This amount is capped off at $6,000.00. The payment of these expenses is required under the Texas Labor Code:
§ 408.186. BURIAL BENEFITS. (a) If the death of an
employee results from a compensable injury, the insurance carrier
shall pay to the person who incurred liability for the costs of
burial the lesser of:
(1) the actual costs incurred for reasonable burial
expenses; or
(2) $6,000.
Please note there is also a requirement to transport the body or reimburse for doing so if the employee was away from the usual place of employment. Unfortunately this does not mean transportation back home when the employee is employed away from home as, for example, is regularly the case in oilfield accidents.
The Texas Labor Code provides:
(b) If the employee died away from the employee's usual
place of employment, the insurance carrier shall pay the reasonable
cost of transporting the body, not to exceed the cost of
transporting the body to the employee's usual place of employment.
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