Court Opinion

ID: 9606699
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:51:46.061336+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:18:26.039877
License: Public Domain

MAYNARD, Justice,
concurring:
(Filed June 14, 2006)
The majority’s decision is correct and reaches the right result and, accordingly, I agree that under our law individuals who were granted dependents’ death benefits under the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation system following the deaths of their spouses can continue to receive those benefits until their death or remarriage. While I fully concur in the decision of the majority of this Court, I am not sure that it was judicially imperative for this Court to address the issue in light of the fact that the executive branch had already acted to correct the problem. West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline and Governor Joe Manchin had already taken decisive action to properly and completely resolve this matter. While it is arguably possible that some future executive might reverse course and change Governor Manchin’s decision, that possibility, in reality, is extremely remote and very unlikely.
Therefore, for this reason, I respectfully concur with the majority opinion.