If you have an L&I claim in Washington State, then you are probably familiar with time-loss compensation benefits. Most often, time-loss is paid at a base rate of 60%. What does this mean? Take your wages at the time of your work injury or industrial disease. L&I or the self-insured employer pay 60% of those […]
COVID-19 continues to impact Washington State including people going through a workers’ compensation claim. However, the good news is that there are some temporary policies to help L&I claim related treatment progress. Additionally, the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals is working to move cases forward through telephonic hearings when practical. L&I Workers’ Compensation Claim […]
It’s important that injured workers and medical providers know that telehealth is a valid option for keeping your L&I claim moving forward. Telehealth also allow you to limit exposure for at-risk individuals while respecting social distancing guidelines. What is Telehealth? Telehealth allows a person with a work injury to get medical care remotely through […]
Workers compensation claims are challenging for a variety of reasons. However, I think one of the biggest reasons that L&I claims are so challenging for work injury claimants, is because there is a disconnect between reality and the claim narrative. What I mean is, I can review claim file materials like letters, forms, decisions and […]
Has L&I lost its way? As an agency, I think that L&I might have forgotten its purpose. What is L&I and what are its duties? The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is the agency responsible for administering the Industrial Insurance Act in Washington State. This Act, also known as RCW 51, was created […]
When an employer prevents or tries to prevent an injured worker from filing a claim, it is called L&I claim suppression or workers’ compensation claim suppression. It occurs more often that you might expect. Despite the prevalence, I don’t think accusations of L&I claim suppression are taken as seriously as they should be. Rules […]
This week has been very busy. Among many other things, I deposed several attending providers and attended litigation matters at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA). Every time I depose a medical provider, it reminds me of the supreme importance of the attending provider in L&I workers’ compensation claims. The opinion of the […]
On October 22, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) adopted rule changes relating to vocational services. The new rules will go into effect on January 1, 2020. The new rule language can be found on the L&I website. Priority of returning injured workers to work Many of the changes are not substantial. However, […]
Have you heard of a drug formulary? How would you know what medication is covered under your L&I claim? Generally, a drug formulary is a list of prescription medications approved under a given health insurance policy. For L&I claims and workers’ compensation claims in Washington State, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has its […]
Workers’ compensation is about human beings. Every injured workers is father, or a mother, a grandmother or grandfather, son, or daughter. This gentleman in the picture is my father. A dedicated husband and a loving father and grandfather. He is an injured worker. He has enough metal in his leg to turn on every alarm […]