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Workplace Injury and L&I Claims: It Doesn’t Matter Who’s At Fault

Many times, work injury clients that that I represent feel that their employer should be held at fault for their workplace injury, work accident, or occupational disease. More often than not, I hear an injured worker say: “It is my employer’s fault I was hurt on the job. They should have to pay.”. However, employers also have frustrations when it comes to who is at fault for an injury. In a recent mediation conference, an employer representative argued that a particular claim shouldn’t be allowed. This is because it was the worker’s fault they got injured. The bottom line is that the whole subject of who’s at fault comes up in workers’ compensation claims and L&I cases a lot more than it should.

The Industrial Insurance Act and letter of the law

Realistically, the Industrial Insurance Act is a no-fault statute. According to RCW 51.04.010, workers’ compensation is designed to provide “sure and certain relief for workers, injured in their work, and their families and dependents […] regardless of questions of fault and to the exclusion of every other remedy, proceeding or compensation”. That’s it.

In fact, the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) describes workers’ compensation as “no-fault” insurance. It eliminates blame to either party for workplace injuries or illnesses. It doesn’t matter who’s fault it was. Consequently, injured workers are entitled to wage and medical benefits, while employers receive immunity from lawsuits, as a result of workplace injury or work related illness suffered by their workers or employees.

Applying the letter of the law: Jury instructions

As a result, when we go to trial, we have a pattern jury instruction that we read to jury members, as follows:

“The Industrial Insurance Act applies regardless of fault or negligence. Therefore, in resolving the issues before you, you are not to consider fault or negligence, if any, of the employer or the worker.”.

Our law makers enacted the Industrial Insurance Act to protect injured workers. Period. No matter who is responsible for the circumstances that led to the injury. Keep that in mind. Let us focus on remembering why our laws were written in the first place. Let’s help injured workers get back on their feet. Let’s help them get back to work if their can, or back to living their life to the full extent possible.

LNI occupational disease claim for silicosis

L&I Report: Countertop Stone Fabricators Should File an Occupational Disease Claim for Dust Exposure

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Manufactured stone countertops are popular. However, The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) in Washington State warns that engineered stone fabricators are at risk for developing a severe lung illness called silicosis. Silicosis is an incurable lung disease caused by silica dust exposure. Exposure to this dust may also cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, lung cancer, and increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) or other lung infections.

L&I and Silicosis: How did fabricators develop the condition?

The CDC has documented 18 cases of workers developing silicosis in Washington State and 4 other states between 2017 and 2019. The workers had an exposure to silica dust from cutting and grinding engineered stone countertops. Interestingly, the countertops in question are mostly quartz countertops. Two of those cases were fatal.

One case in Washington State was a worker in his 30s. His diagnosis was silicosis, back in 2018. He had been exposed to silica dust for about six years working as a stone countertop fabricator. L&I says he is facing serious health issues and may need a lung transplant.

What are the symptoms of Silicosis?

Usually the symptoms of silicosis appear 15-20 years after exposure. Symptoms can appear earlier in instances of very high exposure to silica dust. Exposure occurs whenever silica dust gets in the air from sawing, grinding, polishing, shaping or installing natural or engineered stone. It also occurs from sweeping dry and dusty floors. Cleaning dusty clothing or equipment covered in silica dust also creates exposure.

As part of its Safety & Health Assessment & Research Program (SHARP), L&I is alerting at risk employees and employers of the dangers of silica dust. L&I warns that engineered stone can contain high amounts of silica. Exposure to that dust makes countertop fabrication a highly hazardous profession.

When should I file an L&I claim for Silicosis?

Early detection and diagnosis of conditions caused by silica dust exposure can make a big difference. L&I recommends that countertop workers talk with their doctor if they are regularly exposed to dust or if they experience breathing problems. Workers should know that developing silicosis from exposure to silica dust at work is probably an occupational disease condition. Workers must file an occupational disease workers’ compensation claim within two years of being notified by a medical provider that they have an occupational disease. More information about preventing silica dust exposure can be found on the L&I website.

Workers’ Compensation and L&I Claim Benefits Versus Costs in Washington State

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In Washington State, workers’ compensation is about providing benefits to workers and their dependents. Specifically, the benefits are for disabilities and deaths caused by a workplace injury and work-related disease. The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has a duty to administer your workers’ compensation claim. They decide what benefits to provide depending on the work injury and make decisions and issue orders for your L&I claim.

Benefits after a workplace injury under the Washington State workers’ compensation system

Some of the key financial benefits in a workers’ compensation claim are payments to a person injured at work (such as time loss compensation or temporary total disability), and coverage of medical expenses and treatment. For state claims, employers and workers make regular premium payments to L&I. Consequently, L&I makes the compensation payments to the injured work after a work accident. However, if the employer is a certified self-insured employer (i.e., the employer uses a private insurance for their workers’ compensation claims), then the employer or the insurance company makes these payments directly.

Personally, it seems to me that workers’ compensation rates and premiums often dictate how people feel about claims. L&I makes it loud and clear that the way to keep rates down is by reducing claim costs. From my viewpoint, employers and insurance companies keep their rates low by reducing medical expenses and keeping time off work to minimum (or eliminating the time off completely).

Workers’ compensation rates

Today, L&I sent out a press release boasting with a proposal to boast 0.8% reduction in workers’ compensation premiums for employers. The proposal applies to state funded claim. It does not apply to self-insured employer claims. This is the third year in a row where L&I is reducing employer insurance premium rates.

In 2018, L&I dropped the average employer premium rate by 2.5%. For 2019, L&I lowered the premium rates by another 5%. Interestingly, that was the largest rate decline in more than 10 years. Moreover, today’s press release states that employees will “see a very small increase in the amount they pay” due to increases in the average wage.

How to appeal the proposed workers’ compensation insurance rate changes

The 0.8% workers’ compensation claim rate reduction and the increase for employee premium rates is currently just a proposal. Clearly, public hearings will follow. That means we will all have an opportunity to comment on the rates proposed for 2020 at three public hearings:
(1) Tukwila, Oct. 29, 10 a.m., Dept. of Labor & Industries Tukwila Office
(2) Spokane Valley, Oct. 30, 9 a.m., Spokane CenterPlace
(2) Tumwater, Nov. 1, 10 a.m., Tumwater Labor & Industries Office

Another option for commenting is by writing to Jo Anne Attwood, administrative regulations analyst. Her address is P.O. Box 41448, Olympia, WA 98504-4148. You can also email Joanne at joanne.attwood@lni.wa.gov. Comments are due no later than 5:00 pm on November 5, 2019. Thereafter, final rates will be adopted by early December and go into effect January 1, 2020.

Summary and personal notes

Whether we are employers or employees, none of us really want to pay higher rates. However, I think it is important to know that we are benefiting from reduced rates because injured workers are being denied workers’ compensation benefits. I can’t help but ask: What is a greater value, lower insurance rates or healthy workers who receive a full and fair opportunity to benefit from the Industrial Insurance Act? Finally, you can read the full press release on the L&I website.

Workers Compensation - Washington