Who counts as a “dependent” for death benefits purposes?

A claim for death benefits under R.C. § 4123.59 requires proof that the claimant is a dependent of a decedent whose death was caused by a work-connected injury or occupational disease. A dependent is generally “one who looks to another for support, help or favor.” Benefits are awarded to defray the ordinary living expenses of one who has been deprived of the decedent’s support. The decedent need not have actually provided the dependent with support; the determinative inquiry is whether the claimed dependent had a legal right to support from the decedent.