Worker Compensation

An injury in the workplace can be a frightening experience leaving you unable to work and provide for your family. Washington law (RCW Title 51) governs industrial injuries and occupational diseases, and provides mandatory benefits for workers injured on the job in the state of Washington. To obtain these benefits, you must file a workers' compensation claim. A workers' compensation claim is a complex, legal and medical process. Having an attorney on your behalf will ensure your interests are adequately represented at all stages of your workers' compensation claim and help assist with the medical and legal paperwork.

Under statute, employers are required to pay for all "proper and necessary" medical treatment related to a worker's industrial injury or occupational disease. This can include doctor visits, hospitalization, physical therapy, and prescription medications. Proving what is medically necessary is often a difficult process. You may also be eligible for time loss compensation to offset your lost wages if you are unable to work while recovering from your injury. If you are permanently disabled, you may be entitled to additional compensation up to and including a lifetime pension award. These benefits, too, can be difficult to prove. Our attorneys have experience working for employers and their insurance companies, and know first-hand the tactics used to avoid paying benefits to injured workers, or paying less than they are entitled to.

Our attorneys are experienced in representing injured workers at every point in your workers' compensation claim, from the initial stages at the Department of Labor and Industries, to appeals at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, to appeals to the Superior Court, Court of Appeals, and Washington State Supreme Court.

If you believe you were hurt at work, or developed an illness or condition due to your workplace conditions, our firm can help represent you in your workers' compensation claim.