Adult Child of Worker Who Died of COVID-19 Gets Death Benefits

A New York appellate court upheld an award of death benefits to the dependent adult child of a worker who died of COVID-19. Case: Matter of Villalba v. Rite Aid Pharmacy, No. CV-24-1580, 04/16/2026, published. Facts: Ramon Galeas worked for Rite Aid Pharmacy. He died in March 2020 after contracting COVID-19 while working. Galeas was not married at the time of his death, and he had a son who was born in 1991. Procedural history: A legal guardian filed a claim for workers’ compensation death benefits on behalf of the son and Galeas’ estate. A workers’ compensation law judg...