Usually, family members who have lost a loved one in a workplace accident recover compensation through California’s worker’s compensation program, which is a form of no-fault insurance policy that most employers in the state are required to provide for their employees. This insurance policy provides up to $10,000 in burial expenses and compensation for dependents based on a percentage of the income the deceased earned. There are, however, exceptions to this rule where a wrongful death claim in civil court would apply. These exceptions include: Fatal workplace accidents where the employer needed to provide worker’s compensation insurance and did not. In these cases, the family member can seek compensation from the employer through the civil court system. Additionally, the employer can face criminal charges for failing to provide the insurance as required. Fatal workplace accidents were caused by the carelessness or recklessness of a third party who was not the deceased’s employer or coworker. An example of a third-party workplace accident could include a transportation accident involving a delivery driver that another driver caused. Another example is a construction accident in which an accident caused by the actions of one subcontractor crew resulted in the death of an employee from another company.