Richards v. St. Bernard Parish Government

PAUL A. BONIN, Judge.

_JjThe late Raleigh Richards worked for more than thirty-two years in the classified fire service of St. Bernard Parish. Within three years of his retirement, he died of coronary artery disease. His widow, Elizabeth Richards, filed a claim with the Office of Workers’ Compensation for death benefits, including weekly indemnity payments and funeral expenses. The parish government contested the claim on several grounds.

After a trial on the merits, the workers’ compensation judge decided that Mrs. Richards was not entitled to death benefits because he found that her husband’s…