Last Sunday, three people were killed in a helicopter crash new Los Angeles. The three were part of a production company called Eyeworks USA that was shooting a television show for the Discovery Channel. One was a 45-year-old man from Indiana, Pennsylvania.
No detailed information is available about the cause of the crash or whether the two people from the production company were on the job when the helicopter crashed. If they were involved in work-related activities before the fatal accident, their survivors should be entitled to survivors' benefits through their employer's or union's workers compensation plan.
According to reports from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office, the helicopter went down at about 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11. The two production company members and a helicopter pilot were in the air working on an as-yet untitled military-themed reality TV show.
A deputy speaking for the Sheriff's Office has confirmed that both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the fatal accident.
If the work-related fatality had occurred in Pennsylvania, survivors' benefits would be determined based on factors including the survivor's relationship to and financial dependence on the deceased, along with the survivor's age. Although there is a three-year statute of limitations for filing a claim for survivors' benefits, the process can be complicated. It is highly advisable to file any such claim within a year of the death. There are other time limits, too, of which you will need to be aware.
"A production company was shooting a show for Discovery Channel when this tragic accident occurred. We are all cooperating fully with authorities," reads a statement from the Discovery Channel. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families."
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Indiana, Pa., man killed in California helicopter crash," Alex Zimmerman, Feb. 11, 2013
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