Edwards v. Cherry City Electric, Inc.

Claimant suffered a compensable, work-related injury. He died of causes unrelated to the injury before receiving a compensation award. He had no spouse or dependents who survived him. The issue is whether claimant’s personal representative could pursue an award of permanent disability benefits that accrued before claimant’s death when claimant left no surviving spouse or dependents. The Workers’ Compensation Board concluded that the personal representative could not and, further, that the personal representative could not collect a burial allowance under ORS 656.218(5) because there was not…