High Court to Review Denial of Benefits to Mother for Son's Death

By Sherri OkamotoLegal ReporterThe Georgia Supreme Court is set to hear a constitutional challenge to a provision of the state Workers' Compensation Act that prevents a grieving mother from receiving benefits for the death of her son.Louise Shorter Barzey was her son's only heir, but she was not financially dependent on him. Under Georgia's workers' comp scheme, only the "legal dependents" of a worker who is killed on the job can collect death benefits. Barzey is arguing that the act's distinction between dependents and legal heirs violates principles of equal protecti...