Auburn Workers Compensation Lawyer
Compassionate Auburn Workers Compensation Lawyer Assists Clients Recovering from Work Injuries or Occupational Diseases in King County and Throughout Washington State
After suffering a workplace injury or occupational illness, you may be entitled to receive financial benefits through the Washington state workers’ compensation system. This system has been set up to guarantee no-fault compensation to employees who suffer injury or illness in the course and scope of their work. However, too many injured or ill workers face substantial obstacles in getting the benefits they need to recover from their work injury or occupational illness. When you find yourself in this situation, an Auburn workers’ compensation lawyer from Smith Duran Law can help. Our firm strives to advocate for the interests of injured people. We know how difficult the healing journey can be for workers who can’t get the benefits or qualified medical care we need. We fight to ensure that every one of our clients obtains the best possible outcomes in their case.
If you have been injured in a work accident or have been diagnosed with an occupational illness in Auburn, reach out to Smith Duran Law as soon as possible. An Auburn workers’ compensation lawyer can sit down with you in a free initial consultation to go over your rights under Washington state’s workers’ compensation system.
What Benefits Does Workers’ Compensation Provide?
In Washington state, a worker who suffers an injury or occupational disease in the course and scope of their employment may be entitled to recover various financial benefits. The specific benefits available can depend on the circumstances of the worker’s injury or occupational disease, how long it takes them to recover, and whether they suffer permanent disabilities or impairments. The Washington state workers’ compensation system can offer financial benefits that include:
- Medical benefits which cover expenses for treatments and rehabilitation
- Reimbursement of eligible travel costs incurred to and from appointments or procedures
- Reimbursement of the cost of any personal property of yours that was lost or damaged in the workplace accident that gave rise to your workers’ comp claim
- Wage loss replacement, which helps cover the loss of income if you cannot work during your recovery, or if you experience reduced earnings after returning to work in a modified duty or part-time role
- Vocational training to help you learn new job skills if your work injury or occupational disease prevents you from going back to your old job
- Disability benefits, which offer financial payment for a permanent impairment to a body part with the payment amount based on the affected party and severity of the injury
- Pension benefits that provide regular payments to a worker permanently disabled from returning to gainful employment
- Death benefits that offer compensation towards a deceased worker’s funeral/burial costs as well as pension payments to their surviving family or dependents
Filing for Workers’ Comp in Auburn
If you have suffered a work injury or occupational illness, you may not know what to do to get workers’ compensation benefits. Steps for filing for workers’ comp in Auburn include:
- Seeing a doctor or other medical provider and notifying your employer of a work injury or occupational disease diagnosis as soon as possible after a workplace accident or after experiencing symptoms of a disease
- Filing your formal workers’ compensation claim paperwork with the Washington Department of Labor & Industries, or directly with your employer if they are self-insured for workers’ compensation purposes
- Promptly responding to requests for additional information for your workers’ comp claim or requests for you to submit to an independent medical exam. Failing to do so can lead to your claim being denied
- Keeping your information updated, including changes to your address or changes of medical providers
- Filing a protest if L&I denies your workers’ comp claim or requested benefits, or alternatively taking a direct appeal to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals
Lastly, arguably the most important step in filing for workers’ comp is talking to an Auburn workers compensation lawyer when you need help filing your claim or getting it approved.
Contact Our Firm for a Free Case Evaluation to Learn More about Your Legal Options under the Workers’ Compensation System
When you need help in pursuing a workers’ comp claim, turn to an Auburn workers compensation lawyer from Smith Duran Law Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss how an attorney from our firm can help you pursue the financial benefits you may be entitled to under Washington workers’ compensation law.
About Auburn, WA
Auburn is a city located in King County, Washington, a suburb of the Seattle metropolitan area. Settler families arrived in the area of present-day Auburn in the 1860s, with the town originally named Slaughter. Residents quickly came to dislike that name and pressed to change it to Auburn in honor of Auburn, New York, as both communities had sizable hop farming industries. Population growth and development took off after the completion of dams that prevented the frequent flooding of the area by the White and Green Rivers.
Frequently Asked Questions about Workers’ Compensation in Auburn, WA
If your workers’ compensation claim has been closed by L&I but you discover that you require additional medical treatment, you have the option of applying to reopen your claim. An L&I-registered doctor will need to provide objective medical evidence showing that your original work injury or occupational illness requires additional medical care. If you want to obtain wage loss replacement or disability benefits in addition to medical benefits, you normally must apply to reopen your claim within seven years of the date that it was closed.
It is illegal for employers to fire workers in retaliation for filing a workers’ comp claim. It may also be a violation of state and federal disability discrimination laws to terminate your employment if you can perform the essential duties of your job with reasonable accommodations for your work injury or occupational illness. However, your employer can fire you while you are on workers’ compensation if your employer needs to fill your job and does not have any other employees who can fill in for you. Your employer can also fire you for performance-based or disciplinary reasons that arose prior to you filing for workers’ comp. Even if your employment is lawfully terminated, you may continue to receive benefits.
A worker who is harmed by a defective or dangerous product on the job —such as mechanical failure from a faulty machine part— may be eligible for compensation outside of workers’ comp benefits through a third-party claim. A third-party lawsuit can be filed by an injured worker against the negligent manufacturer of a faulty product involving:
1. Design defect – when a product is hazardous because the design is unsafe.
2. Manufacturing defect – when a product is damaged or not assembled properly.
3. Inadequate warnings – when a product’s labels or packaging don’t provide sufficient warning about possible dangers or incorrect use.
Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
The Department of Labor and Industries manages claims for injuries at work. You are entitled to money for lost wages, medical treatment, vocational retraining, loss of body function, and in some cases a pension.
LEARN MOREPersonal Injury Attorney
If your injury was caused by someone other than a co‑worker, an auto accident, or defective equipment, you may be entitled to additional compensation. Our personal injury attorney in Tacoma will evaluate your case.
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