Section 281-A:26 Compensation for Death.
If death results from an injury, weekly compensation shall be paid to the dependents of the deceased employee in an amount provided by the compensation schedule in RSA 281-A:28 as follows:
I. In all cases in which compensation is payable to a widow or widower for the benefit of herself or himself and dependent children, the commissioner shall have the power to determine from time to time, in the commissioner's discretion, what portion of the compensation shall be applied for the benefit of any such children and may order the same paid to a guardian.
II. In the case of the remarriage of a widow or widower without dependent children, compensation payments shall cease.
III. In the case of the remarriage of a widow or widower who has dependent children, the unpaid balance of compensation which would otherwise become due shall be payable to the mother, father, or guardian, or such other person as the commissioner may order, for the use and benefit of such children during dependency.
IV. The employer shall pay burial expenses not to exceed $10,000.
V. Any dependent, except a widow or a widower or children, who, at the time of the injury to the person covered under this chapter, is only partially dependent upon the injured person's earnings shall receive such proportion of the benefits provided for those wholly dependent as the amount of the wage contributed by the deceased to such partial dependent at the time of the injury bore to the total support of the dependent.
VI. Compensation for a dependent child shall continue until the child becomes 18 years of age, or until the child becomes 25 years of age if such child is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited educational institution. However, if the commissioner determines that the child is self-supporting or if the child marries or is legally adopted, compensation shall cease. A dependent child who is physically or mentally incapacitated shall continue to receive compensation as long as the incapacity continues. This paragraph shall have no effect on accidents or fatalities occurring prior to July 1, 1975, which shall be governed by the provisions of workers' compensation law prior to that date.
VII. Compensation payable to any dependent other than a widow, widower, or children shall cease when such dependent is married, is legally adopted, or is determined by the commissioner to be self-supporting.
Source. 1988, 194:2. 1990, 254:17, eff. Jan. 1, 1991. 2009, 78:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.