What Is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that provides wage replacement and medical benefits to injured workers. In Washington state, it is handled by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), a state agency that oversees distributing benefits to employees who are injured at work or contract an illness from their job. Virtually all workers in Washington state have workers’ comp coverage.
What’s The Difference Between L&I And Self-Insured Workers’ Comp In Washington State?
For the majority of employers in Washington state, workers’ comp claims are administered through the Washington state workers’ comp program (L&I). The remaining 30% of employers are self-insured, meaning they provide workers’ comp benefits directly to their employees.
Injured At Work? What You Need To Know
When workers in Washington state are injured on the job or afflicted by certain occupational diseases due to their work environment, they have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim. In most cases, if it is determined that the injury or illness occurred as a result of the worker’s job, career, or work-related functions or activities, the claim is accepted and the worker is entitled to various benefits.
Workers’ Compensation Claims
You can file a claim online through the L&I website, by calling their office at (877) 561-3453, or at your doctor’s office.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits
A variety of workers’ comp benefits are available to help cover lost wages and pay for medical bills while workers recover from an on-the-job injury or occupational illness.
The following is a partial list of L&I benefits:
- Time Loss & Wage Replacement
- Travel Reimbursement
- Property Reimbursement
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Job Retraining
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)
- Lifetime Pensions
- Death Benefits
Independent Medical Examinations
You may be required to undergo an independent medical examination (IME) with a doctor hired by the state as part of your claim. The purported reason for an IME is to get an expert opinion on your work injury from a doctor other than your primary provider. However, IME doctors often misdiagnose a patient, or mischaracterize a workplace injury as preexisting, which can result in a denied claim.
Why Choose Emery Reddy As Your Washington Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Even the most straightforward workers’ comp claims can hit roadblocks navigating the bureaucracy of the system. A workers’ compensation claim can be denied for almost any reason. And once the claim is denied, it takes experience and persistence to get L&I to reverse the initial denial. Emery Reddy’s workers’ comp lawyers have years of experience litigating claims and recovering millions for our clients.
Commitment To Compassion
For many injured workers, the suffering continues long after experiencing the initial trauma. In addition to the physical pain, injured workers’ face mounting medical costs, lost wages and emotional stress.
Let us help lighten the financial burden by representing your workers’ comp claim. We will work diligently to ensure that you receive full benefits to cover the cost of your injury.
At Emery Reddy, we know how difficult it can be for work injury victims and their families during this time. We are committed to supporting our clients throughout the legal process in order to provide the peace of mind necessary for a full recovery.