2023 Indiana Code › Title 22. Labor and Safety › Article 3. Worker's Compensation System › Chapter 3. Worker's Compensation: Notice of Injury; Treatment; Compensation Schedule; Payments › 22-3-3-19. Presumptive Dependents; Termination of Dependency

Sec. 19. (a) The following persons are conclusively presumed to be wholly dependent for support upon a deceased employee and shall constitute the class known as presumptive dependents in section 18 of this chapter:
(1) A wife upon a husband with whom she is living at the time of his death, or upon whom the laws of the state impose the obligation of her support at such time. The term "wife", as used in this subdivision, shall exclude a common law wife unless such common law relationship was entered into before January 1, 1958, and, in addition, existed openly and notoriously for a period of not less than five (5) years immediately preceding the death.
(2) A husband upon his wife with whom he is living at the time of her death. The term "husband", as used in this subdivision, shall exclude a common law husband unless such common law relationship was entered into before January 1, 1958, and, in addition, existed openly and notoriously for a period of not less than five (5) years immediately preceding the death.
(3) An unmarried child under the age of twenty-one (21) years upon the parent with whom the child is living at the time of the death of such parent.
(4) An unmarried child under twenty-one (21) years upon the parent with whom the child may not be living at the time of the death of such parent, but upon whom, at such time, the laws of the state impose the obligation to support such child.
(5) A child over the age of twenty-one (21) years who has never been married and who is either physically or mentally incapacitated from earning the child's own support, upon a parent upon whom the laws of the state impose the obligation of the support of such unmarried child.
(6) A child over the age of twenty-one (21) years who has never been married and who at the time of the death of the parent is keeping house for and living with such parent and is not otherwise gainfully employed.
(b) As used in this section, the term "child" includes stepchildren, legally adopted children, posthumous children, and acknowledged children born out of wedlock. The term "parent" includes stepparents and parents by adoption.
(c) The dependency of a child under subsections (a)(3) and (a)(4) shall terminate when the child attains the age of twenty-one (21).
(d) The dependency of any person as a presumptive dependent shall terminate upon the marriage of such dependent subsequent to the death of the employee, and such dependency shall not be reinstated by divorce. However, for deaths from injuries occurring on and after July 1, 1977, a surviving spouse who is a presumptive dependent and who is the only surviving dependent of the deceased employee is entitled to receive, upon remarriage before the expiration of the maximum statutory compensation period, a lump sum settlement equal to the smaller of one hundred four (104) weeks of compensation or the compensation for the remainder of the maximum statutory compensation period.
(e) The dependency of any child under subsection (a)(6) shall be terminated at such time as such dependent becomes gainfully employed or marries.
Formerly: Acts 1929, c.172, s.38a; Acts 1947, c.162, s.8; Acts 1963, c.387, s.10. As amended by Acts 1977, P.L.261, SEC.2; P.L.152-1987, SEC.6; P.L.134-1990, SEC.1.