Estimate & general information only — not legal advice. Results are educational estimates based on the figures you enter and 2026 California rates. They do not account for every fact (medical reports, apportionment, disputes) and do not create an attorney-client relationship. For an accurate answer, speak with a licensed California workers' compensation attorney — we can connect you for free.
California workers' compensation death benefits
When a worker dies from a job-related injury or illness, California provides death benefits to the people who depended on them. We know a calculator can't address what your family is going through — this tool is simply here to help you understand, plainly, what support may be available.
Benefits come in a few parts (Labor Code §§4701–4703.5):
- Burial expenses — up to $10,000 for injuries on or after 1/1/2013.
- Dependent benefit — a lump sum based on the number of total dependents: $250,000 for one, $290,000 for two, and $320,000 for three or more.
- Partial dependents (when there are no total dependents) — generally eight times the annual amount the worker contributed to their support, subject to caps.
- Weekly installments — the lump sum is paid over time at the worker's temporary-disability rate (two-thirds of average weekly wage), never less than $224 per week.
One especially important rule: if a dependent is a minor child, payments continue at the weekly rate until the youngest turns 18 — even if the total exceeds the cap above (LC 4703.5).
Dependency status and partial-dependent math are fact-specific and frequently disputed by insurers, so these are estimates. A compassionate, no-cost conversation with an attorney can help your family understand and pursue everything you're owed.