Sometimes injured workers aren’t sure how best to stay on top of developments in their L&I workers' compensation claims. In my opinion, one of the best ways to keep track of a State Funded claim is to apply for Claims and Account Center (CAC) access. Once you complete the process, injured workers can see a plethora of claim related information such as how the wage rate is computed. You can also see if a payment is pending, whether a treatment has been authorized, or whether a bill has been paid.

Through Claims and Account Center, injured workers can also access imaged documents including any paperwork that has been submitted to L&I. Available documents also include medical records, vocational reports, work status forms, and activity prescription forms. Imaged documents also contain copies of letters and orders issued by the Department of Labor and industries in a chronological order. Finally, through Claims and Account Center, injured workers can complete work status forms electronically and can send messages to their claims manager just like sending an email.

I have to admit that for some injured workers CAC access can become an obsession, causing them to stress about every change or lack of progress in their claim. In addition, some injured workers view the contents of CAC as definitive information about claim related matters. This can be very counterproductive. However, when CAC is used appropriately for staying on top of claim developments and keeping informed, it can be a very useful tool. This tool really enables injured workers to be on top and keep track of the claim.

If you are an injured worker interested in gaining CAC access, you can visit the L&I website for more information: https://secure.lni.wa.gov/home/ . And as always, if you have any questions, please post them here. I always appreciate input and feedback.