Accidents can happen at any time, especially when you work in an active environment. The law requires that every employer remain insured in case of an accident, regardless of fault. This insurance is called workers’ compensation insurance, and it is how the State makes sure you are paid for the time you missed at work due to injury or illness.
If you were injured at work, or if you believe your repetitive stress injury was caused by your work conditions, you may qualify for workers’ compensation. A doctor will need to evaluate your condition to verify the injury before starting the paperwork to get a claim started with L&I.
What Is L&I?
L&I is a government agency in Washington state that handles workers’ compensation claims and provides benefits to workers who are injured or develop certain industrial diseases at work.
Some of those benefits include:
Why Do We Have L&I?
It is your right as an employee to be covered by insurance in case something happens at work. While L&I is a no-fault system, your injury can absolutely be caused by work conditions or accidents.
Some companies, called Self-Insured Employers (SIE), prefer to pay third-party insurance to cover their employees. These companies are skilled at making sure injured workers walk away with as little compensation as possible, as quickly as possible, regardless of their work status. The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) oversees the interactions between these companies and their employees, and it is their responsibility to moderate any unfair or malignant behaviors the SIE may perform to save a few dollars.
How Do I Know I’ve Been Injured
Your injury can sometimes be less obvious or take some time to develop. Aside from the obvious and emergent, some accidents may not seem worth reporting. However, it is possible for injuries to manifest anywhere from hours to days after an incident. In the case of industrial disease, repetitive stress, or overuse can take years to develop.
If you were involved in an accident at work, you should always take the time to assess how you feel. Keep track of any new aches and pains that may have developed, especially those near a potential trauma point.
A workers’ compensation claim can take a long time even if you know how the system works and how to get the treatment you need. Hiring a workers’ compensation attorney can make all the difference for the outcome of a claim. A skilled attorney can guide you through the L&I system and help you stand up for what you are owed.
Emery | Reddy, PLLC has over 50 years of combined experience defending clients and resolving L&I claims. Call us today to see how we can help you with your claim.
