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When a work injury causes a worker's death, workers' compensation can now pay up to $10,000 for burial expenses, up from a $5,000 limit, while the rest of the death benefit rules stay the same apart from wording cleanup.
Official title: death benefits; burial costs
- September 12, 2026
What changes
BeforeWorkers' compensation death benefits covered burial expenses of up to $5,000, in addition to other compensation.
NowBurial expenses of up to $10,000 are covered, in addition to other compensation.
Who it affects
- Families and dependents of workers who die from a work injury
- Employers and workers' compensation insurers that pay death benefits
- Industrial Commission of Arizona
What you need to do
Nothing.
What the law doesn't answer
- Whether the higher $10,000 burial limit applies to deaths or injuries that happened before the law takes effect
- Whether the burial limit will be adjusted for inflation in the future
- Why the $800 funeral expense limit for a dependent who dies during an award was not changed
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.