Supreme Court Says Worker's Fiancee May Qualify for Death Benefits as 'Family Member'

The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a worker’s fiancée should have been given the opportunity to prove she was a “family member,” wholly dependent on the worker, who was therefore entitled to benefits after he was killed in a trench collapse. Case: State ex rel. McDonald v. Industrial Commission, No. 2022-0143, 05/17/2023, published. Facts: Christopher R. McDonald was killed in a trench collapse in April 2019 while working for J&J Schlaegel Inc. McDonald was engaged to Amanda Carpenter at the time of his death. The two had been in a relations...