The applicant sought a $10,000 death benefit following her father's death in a motor vehicle accident, claiming she was principally dependent on him for financial support.
The respondent denied the claim, arguing she was financially independent.
The Tribunal found that the relevant time period to assess dependency was the seven months prior to the accident, during which the applicant had graduated from university, lived at home, and worked full-time in her field of study.
Applying the 51% rule, the Tribunal concluded the applicant was capable of meeting more than 51% of her financial needs and was therefore not principally dependent on her father.
The application for the death benefit and interest was dismissed.
