Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals Digest

Minnesota Lawyer//July 2, 2026//

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Minnesota Lawyer//July 2, 2026//

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Workers’ Compensation

Dependency Benefits

Petitioner appealed the denial of dependency benefits following the work-related death of an employee, arguing that she qualified as a putative spouse under Minn. Stat. § 518.055 and that the compensation judge should have imposed greater penalties and sanctions against the employers. The Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals held that substantial evidence supported the compensation judge’s finding that petitioner failed to establish a good-faith belief that she was legally married to the employee at the time of his death and therefore was not entitled to dependency benefits as a putative spouse under Minn. Stat. §§ 176.111 and 518.055. The court further held that the compensation judge did not abuse his discretion by awarding five- and ten-percent penalties for the employers’ frivolous maintenance of an independent-contractor defense that delayed payment of benefits to the employee’s child, while declining to impose greater penalties or additional sanctions. Affirmed.

WC25-6627 Mohamud v. Bashka Express LLC