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Apply For Workers’ Compensation Benefits In Yakima

Report your workplace illness or injury right away to start your workers’ compensation claim.

Applying For Workers’ Comp: Key Steps

The first moves you make after you’re hurt at work can make a major difference in getting the financial support you need from workers’ compensation benefits—and moving forward with your life. See the key steps in this chart from the Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, workers’ comp lawyers in Washington State. Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, helps people secure workers’ comp in Yakima, Kennewick, Sunnyside, Spokane, Richland, Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Walla Walla and all across Central Washington.

How Do I Start A Workers’ Comp Claim?

You’re a hard worker. And you’re proud of the work you do. The last thing you want is an injury on the job that disrupts your work.

If it happens, though, you deserve the full protection of workers’ comp benefits. That holds true no matter your industry, whether that’s farming or working with hazardous materials on the Hanford Site or in construction sites.

Workers’ comp should pay for the health care you need because of your injury or any illness you developed from conditions on the job.

If you have to miss work, workers’ comp should pay a large portion of your lost wages. In some cases, it can provide counseling or training to get back on the job. These benefits come directly from the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which handles Washington state’s workers’ comp claims.

As soon as you realize your health has been damaged by your work, take these two steps to start your claim:

  • Report the situation to your employer, get the report in writing and make copies.
  • Get medical help.

Your doctor can file the report that opens your claim. Or you can get the form from the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which oversees workers’ comp.

If your employer is self-insured and doesn’t use L&I for workers’ comp, you’ll need to give your employer a copy of the accident or occupational disease report in order to start your claim.

Once the report is filed with your employer, get a copy of it and hold on to it.

Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, helps people in Yakima, Kennewick, Sunnyside, Spokane, Richland, Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Walla Walla and anywhere in Central Washington. We’re not just unlicensed “claim advisers” or inexperienced “benefits consultants.” Our team of L&I attorneys has over 80 years of combined legal experience.

Let us help you get the benefits you need.

What Happens Next?

You have one year from the date of an injury to file your claim. If you have an occupational disease, you have two years from the date of your diagnosis.

For your claim to be approved, your doctor must confirm that your health problems took place at work or resulted from work, such as injuries from slips and falls or motor vehicle accidents at work.

When your claim is approved, you should quickly receive workers’ comp benefits to cover your medical bills. Depending on your situation, you may also get payments for lost wages and return-to-work assistance.

And at Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, we don’t charge you to discuss your case and determine what’s best for you.

Do I Need A Lawyer?

You can face a lot of obstacles getting the maximum workers’ comp benefits available to you. Here are some common challenges:

You can feel like an underdog fighting an overwhelming system. A lawyer who works with the workers’ comp system all the time can take much of the stress – and work – out of it so you can focus on recovery.

Consult A Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC L&I Lawyer For Free

At Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, we pride ourselves on keeping our clients informed every step of the way. As one satisfied client put it, ‘I was continually kept informed of all progress and holdups related to my case. I was very pleased…and would have no hesitation in hiring them again.’ We strive to provide this level of service to all our L&I clients.

We understand that every case is unique. Whether you’re a long-time resident, an immigrant or undocumented, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits under Washington state law. We believe in protecting rights, regardless of immigration status.

Give your application the care it deserves from start to finish or through appeals. Schedule your free consultation today at 509-606-6917 or via this online form.

Learn More About Washington Workers’ Comp

Get all the information you need to make the best decisions about your health — and your future.

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