More Than 80 Years Of Combined Legal Experience In The State Of Washington

L&I Time-Loss Benefits Lawyers In Yakima

If you’re missing work because of an injury on your job – or conditions at work made you ill over time – you’re dealing with a host of problems all at once:

Paychecks stop.
Bills grow.
Pain and other symptoms slow you down.
Mental anguish, including anger, anxiety and depression, makes you feel hopeless.

Workers’ compensation benefits go a long way toward helping you reach a better time in your life.

Benefits include payments for a portion of the paychecks you’re missing. But how much do you get? And when do you get it?

The experienced workers’ comp lawyers at Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, can help you navigate Washington’s workers’ comp system.

We help hardworking people in Yakima, Kennewick, Sunnyside, Spokane, Richland, Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Walla Walla and all across Central Washington get the benefits they’re owed.

L&I Time-Loss Benefits: How It Works

Most employers in Washington have workers’ comp coverage through the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). Some employers choose to self-insure for workers’ comp.

If your doctor has certified that you’re unable to work because of your workplace illness or injury – and your claims manager has received that verification – workers’ comp benefits may start paying for a percentage of the pay you’re losing.

In Washington, this is called “time-loss” compensation, although you may have heard it referred to as “lost wages,” a term used in some other areas of the country.

The first three consecutive days of work you miss immediately following your injury or the onset of your illness are considered a waiting period. After that, your benefits start.

This is how these benefits work:

You’ll receive between 60% and 75% of what you were earning on the job.
The exact amount depends on your marital status and number of children.
Your time-loss checks are also limited to a maximum amount that changes over time, based on Washington state’s average wage.
You’ll receive your first check within 14 days of L&I or your employer getting notice from your doctor that you can’t work.
The checks come twice a month.
Your checks continue as long as your doctor says you can’t work.

At Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, we don’t charge anything for you to tell us about your case, so we can help determine what’s best for you.

How Are My Workers’ Compensation Benefits Calculated?

When you’re hurt on the job in Washington State—and now you can’t work—you should get checks to cover some of the pay you’re missing as part of your workers’ compensation benefits. These are called “time loss” benefits in Washington. In many states, they’re called “lost wages.” They don’t cover your whole paycheck, but the financial assistance can still be a lifesaver. Find out how time loss benefits work in this chart from the Central Washington workers’ comp attorneys at Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC.

Get Help Winning Maximum Benefits

You can count on certain facts:

Your employer and their insurance company are looking out for themselves, not you. Their goal is to save money.
Your employer and their insurance company will have legal representation.
You’re in an unfamiliar situation, but they deal with this all the time.

You need someone on your side who has the knowledge and experience to navigate L&I workers’ comp, which has its own separate legal system.

You need an experienced lawyer (not just an “advocate” or a paralegal) to make sure you receive all the time-loss compensation available to you.

An experienced lawyer does all of this for you:

Communicates with the workers’ comp insurer.
Makes sure you don’t make mistakes, such as missing any deadlines or important steps.
Makes sure you properly fill out all the right forms.
Gathers medical evidence to support your L&I claim.
Negotiates a good settlement.
Represents you at an L&I hearing during an appeal.
Makes sure the payments you receive are timely and in the right amounts.

Even if you think you have a “slam-dunk” case and that nothing could possibly prevent L&I or a workers’ comp judge from approving your claim, a lot can go wrong.

Don’t take that chance with your health and well-being – or your income.

Get Over 80 Years Of Combined Legal Experience Help With Your Claim – Free Consultations Available

When your future is at stake, contact Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC. We’re committed to your case and health. Our goal is to provide ongoing support throughout your case and even after its conclusion, especially in case of benefits termination.

Don’t handle your claim alone. Call 509-606-6917 or complete this online form to set up a free consultation with our firm today.