High Court Says Death Benefit Statute, Exclusive Remedy Pass Constitutional Muster

Alaska's statutory cap on benefits when a worker without dependents dies is constitutional, and exclusive remedy prevents a mother from trying to pursue a defective-machinery lawsuit to recover damages, the state Supreme Court ruled. Abigail Caudle was 26 when she was electrocuted on the job while working for Raven Electric Inc. in 2011. The apprentice electrician was removing light fixtures in an Anchorage building that was being remodeled when the accident occurred. A voltage meter indicated that electricity was not flowing to the fixture at the time. The light switch for the fixture s...