Kinney Law Group — Washington Injury and Disability Law Blog
Safety Violations Result in Felony Charges
January 25th, 2018
For the first time a Washington employer faces felony charges of manslaughter for a workplace fatality, based on the willful violation of excavation safety regulations. The King County prosecutor filed second-degree manslaughter charges in January 20…
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Categories: Uncategorized
Hotel Owner Knowingly Exposes Workers to Asbestos Hazards
January 23rd, 2018
On January 22, 2018, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced that it has cited the owner of the Seattle Pacific Hotel for using untrained workers to remove asbestos during renovation. A certified asbestos-abatement contractor had…
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Categories: Uncategorized
Is there a settlement? Permanent Partial Disability
January 22nd, 2018
Injured workers often ask if they will receive a settlement at the end of their worker’s compensation case. The answer is –it depends. If there is objective evidence that your injury will not totally heal, then you should receive a permanent part…
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Categories: Washington Workers' Compensation
2017 Workers' Compensation COLA Amount
September 1st, 2017
In an earlier blog post, I talked about increases in workers’ compensation time loss and pension benefits due to cost of living adjustments (COLAs). For July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, the COLA is 4.8%. Here is the release from L&I abou…
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Categories: Uncategorized
New L&I Pilot Program: Acupuncture for Treatment of Low Back Pain
August 28th, 2017
The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently announced a 2-year pilot program to study the use of acupuncture to treat low back pain. It will begin October 1, 2017. Apart from this program, L&I does not cover the cost of acupuncture…
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Categories: Washington Workers' Compensation
TIME LOSS, SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY AND RETIREMENT OFFSET DEDUCTIONS – WHY DID MY TIME LOSS GO DOWN?
If you are getting worker’s compensation time loss under your Washington State Department of Labor and Industries claim, and you also start to get federal Social Security Disability benefits, or Social Security Retirement benefits, you probably wil…
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Categories: Washington Workers' Compensation
I’VE BEEN INJURED. WHAT SHOULD I DO FIRST? Taking Photos After an Accident Can Help Your Case
You’ve been injured in either a workplace accident or personal injury accident (motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, etc.). The first thing you should do is seek whatever immediate medical attention you need. The next thing you should do is take…
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When do I get a cost of living adjustment (COLA) from L&I on my workers’ compensation time loss or pension payments?
It’s July! Time for a COLA? When do I get a cost of living adjustment (COLA) from L&I on my workers’ compensation time loss or pension payments? For most workers – those who are not also receiving Social Security Disability or Retirement be…
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Work injury "lights up" preexisting arthritis or other degenerative condition -- Is it covered?
It’s a common situation, especially among middle-aged workers. You have preexisting arthritis in your knee, back, shoulder, neck or other joint but no symptoms from it. The arthritis is there but doesn’t really bother you and doesn’t keep you f…
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Categories: Washington Workers' Compensation
Worker Memorial Day celebration to honor WA workers who died from work-related causes
April 26th, 2017
On Thursday, April 27, 2017, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) will hold a Worker Memorial Day ceremony to honor 79 workers who died from a work-related illness or injury. Almost all of the 79 workers died in 2016. The…
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Categories: Washington Workers' Compensation
