Figuring out when to retire is always a big decision. Even if you don’t have an open workers’ compensation claim. However, retiring with an open L&I claim is even more complex. In fact, if you voluntarily retire while you have an open L&I claim, it can have serious impact on…

Work injury claimants call my office all the time asking for advice about IME exams. Many of them heard bad things about IME tests. They don’t know what to expect. Others ask how to prepare for the IME and what to do. The best advice I can give is to…

The Industrial Insurance Act governs every workers’ compensation claim in Washington State. This act provides benefits to workers and their dependents for disabilities or death after a work injury or occupational disease. Therefore, every L&I claim or self-insured employer claim must follow this law. Self-insured employers The Department of Labor and Industries…

I regularly applaud and give praise to the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) when praise is due. In particular, I’m always impressed with L&I’s workplace health and safety programs. L&I dedicates tremendous resources to studying and improving safety for workers. Moreover, the L&I website contains helpful information for employers…

I’ve been representing work injury claimants for nearly 20 years. I don’t want to say that I’ve seen it all. I’m sure I haven’t. But I’ve seen a lot. During a standard day, I take approximately 3–5 claim consultations. Usually, while on the phone with injured workers, we spend a…

People call me every day to consult about their workplace injury claim. Some of them are looking for representation. Almost always, attorney fees are a concern. The purpose of this article is to explain all L&I attorney fee considerations and costs. Do I need an attorney after an injury at work? Many work injury claimants can manage their claim on…

Some people can recover quickly and return to work after a workplace injury. For me, that’s the best L&I claim outcome. However, these are two separate topics. I genuinely believe that they must go together. First and foremost is the recovery. Then, it’s all about returning to work. The return-to-work program Sometimes, I…

I get calls from work injury claimants often. The #1 reason they call is because their L&I claim is closing. Also, the same goes for self-insured employer claims in Washington State. L&I claim closure can be very stressful. To help, I put together this checklist below. You can use it…

L&I claim retraining is one of the most valuable benefits during your workers’ compensation claim in Washington State. Retraining benefits aren’t available for everyone. In fact, retraining is a discretionary benefit. However, when the retraining option is available, I always recommend work injury clients to seriously consider retraining. L&I claim retraining in Washington State Strictly speaking…