Von Gunten III, Fred

Fred Von Gunten III, age 21, sustained a stipulated industrial injury resulting in his death on October 25, 2023. The sole trial issue was the extent of dependency of Victoria Sandoval, his fiancée, who lived with him at his parents' home and earned $353.63 per week at the time of his death. The WCJ found Ms. Sandoval was a total dependent and awarded death benefits accordingly, and the defendant sought reconsideration arguing she was only a partial dependent because of her regular earnings and because she lived in the home of the deceased's parents. The WCAB denied reconsideration, concluding that the decedent paid virtually all of her living expenses and that her modest earnings were ancillary, establishing total dependency under Labor Code section 3502.