RIBORDY

**Court Upholds Death Benefits for 9/11 Ground Zero Worker's Widow** This case involved a dispute over death benefits for the widow of a worker who died from an illness related to his work at Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The worker had previously filed a claim for occupational disease - meaning he got sick from exposure to harmful substances at his workplace. When he died, his widow applied for death benefits through workers' compensation, but there was disagreement about how much she should receive. The court sided with the Workers' Compensation Board and approved the death benefits for the widow. The court confirmed that the benefits should be calculated based on the worker's average weekly wage from his original occupational disease claim. This means the widow will receive the compensation she was seeking. This decision is important for workers and their families because it shows that courts will protect death benefits for families of workers who die from job-related illnesses, especially those connected to major disasters like 9/11. It also confirms that benefit amounts should be calculated fairly based on the worker's actual earnings, providing financial security for surviving family members during difficult times.