Phone: (360) 876-4123

219 Prospect St
Port Orchard, WA 98366

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Anyone hurt on the job might instinctively relax knowing that their workers’ compensation claim payment will cover the medical bills and time lost at work. Unfortunately, while the hurt employee is dealing with physical pain and medical treatment, in many cases they also face a lot of stress. The need to return to work, to pay for bills, and to feed and support their family can weigh heavily on injured workers.

Then, there are factors such as lost income and the need to learn how to work at a new job after a severe injury. At our Bremerton workers’ compensation law firm our goal is to help injured workers get the compensation that they need and that they deserve by law, under the Industrial Insurance Act in Washington State. Our Bremerton workers’ compensation attorney office is conveniently located in Kitsap County in Port Orchard. To help, we always seek maximum and full compensation for medical coverage and bill expenses and monetary benefits for your time off.

 

What can a workers’ compensation attorney do for me?

Whenever necessary, we appeal L&I claim determinations and decisions and take your case to court. Every workers’ comp attorney in our office has significant experience helping people that got hurt at work. If you are looking for a workers’ compensation attorney or law firm in Bremerton or another close location, we are here to help work injury and work accident claimants from Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Port Townsend, Silverdale, Kingston, Bremerton, and University Place. Some of our clients even come from Sequim, Poulsbo, Gig Harbor, Aberdeen and Forks.

At our Bremerton workers’ compensation law firm, we use our experience and relationship with doctors, attending physicians, claim managers, and vocational counselors to help defend injured workers in all variety of cases. We provide free consultations for anyone who was hurt at work, needs help with an L&I claim, or has had issues with a self-insured employer. Ultimately, we want to ensure that you get the representation needed to fight for the compensation you should be getting.

 

Can a workman’s compensation lawyer help me?

Washington state has many workers’ compensation laws which stand to protect injured workers as well as their employers. However, the real-life situation is that insurance companies deny claims left and right, so injured staff like employees or even seasonal workers don’t always get the treatment they need or payment they are owed.

After an insurance claim issues a denial in a workman’s compensation claim, the employee can move forward to the appeals system. Workers’ compensation appeals are draining and stressful for anyone. The injured worker is left to either fight on their own or give up on their claim. Appeals can be heard at the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, or at Kitsap County Superior Court. Either way, it takes a long time for appeals to get reviewed. Therefore, it’s important to appeal claim decisions in a timely manner with strong supporting evidence.

 

Can I or should I handle my L&I claim on my own?

Your employer’s insurance company and even L&I claim managers from the Department of Labor and Industries aren’t there to protect your interests. It’s clear that they will always make the decision which fits their decision-making process. Often, this results in people with workplace injury not receiving the proper compensation that they need to recover, or only receiving partial benefits.

Some people can manage and navigate their workers’ compensation claim. However, we recommend that you talk to a work injury lawyer first before talking to claim managers or vocational counselors, or whenever you feel you’re being mistreated by the system. Furthermore, we recommend you don’t sign any important documents or agreements without reviewing them with your workers’ compensation attorney. Your workers’ compensation claim can get tricky and evolve in ways that will harm your claim outcome down the road, or your long-term future once your claim winds down.

 

Helping people with work injury manage their L&I claim

A workman’s compensation attorney will go through the best way to establish a strong claim. They will take away as much stress as possible on your part and take over key aspects of this process, including:

  • Communicating with any involved insurance company or employer representatives
  • Collecting evidence to support your claim and medical needs
  • Negotiate your CRSSA structured settlement if and as needed in some claims
  • Take your case to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals whenever necessary
  • Push the case as far as necessary for fair compensation
  • Coordinate and oversee your vocational services and progress if applicable

 

L&I attorney and law firm for work injury claimants

Reck Law is a workers’ compensation law firm in Bremerton and its neighboring cities that fights for injured workers to get everything they need to recover fully. When working with our team, you get a dedicated case manager at our office and you’ll have a workers’ comp attorney ready to answer your questions and work on your behalf. That means we’ll handle the claim through L&I or the private insurance company.

Your case may settle, or your case might go into litigation, but either way we’ll advise you on the best way to proceed and recommend next steps. It’s your claim. Therefore, ultimately, the way to handle the outcome of your claim should be yours. We’ll also fully manage your case and L&I claim by gathering evidence, finding expert witnesses, and more. If you’re looking for the some of the best workman’s compensation lawyer in Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Silverdale, and any other local municipality, the contact us or give us a call.

 

Recommendations when hiring a workers’ comp attorney

As you claim moves forward, when the right time comes, a structured settlement (CRSSA) is not something that most injured workers can obtain without legal help. People with straightforward claims may get what they need to recover from an injury, but those cases are rare. Disputed claims, unfair settlement agreements, and complex cases are more common. It’s these issues that lead people to need a workers’ comp attorney.

A workman’s compensation attorney should help you sort out anything that seems unclear. If you believe that your case is complex or feel that it’s too much work to assemble all your evidence, then you should contact a work injury attorney. If you live in Bremerton or municipalities in the Tacoma area, such as Port Orchard, Silverdale, Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Kingston, or Gig Harbor, then you should hire a Bremerton workers’ compensation attorney for your L&I claim. A good workers’ compensation lawyer will make sure you build a strong case. They will employ their legal knowledge, relationships, various resources, and experience to create a claim that should showcase the full extent of your injuries and corresponding benefits.

 

Helping workplace injury claimants with L&I claim problems

For your information, any of these situations require the attention and dedication of a workers’ compensation attorney:

  • Your workers’ compensation claim is not being allowed
  • The claim closed while you were still receiving medical treatment
  • Your claim is going through the workers’ compensation claim appeal or hearing process
  • Your injuries are requiring extensive or ongoing medical treatment
  • You suffer from injuries that require you to miss long stretches of time at work
  • If your injuries lead to permanent disability or even permanent partial disability
  • Claim complications because of a preexisting condition or preexisting injury
  • Delays and denials have restricted your access to medical care or medical exams
  • If your injuries will make it impossible for you to work in the same field, or to return to work at all
  • Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are impacting your claim
  • Your benefits for time-loss compensation or limited earning power (LEP) were stopped or terminated or L&I is threatening to stop payments

 

You must develop a strong workers’ compensation claim strategy

A case strategy is a crucial aspect of any attorney and client relationship. Any good work injury attorney should understand the medical aspects, job functions, and employer details of the case to create a winning strategy. Through medical evidence and other forms of evidence, a skilled workman’s compensation attorney will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your case. Medical evidence typically includes:

  • Depositions from medical experts
  • Attaining expert witnesses to speak on aspects of the injury or treatment
  • Medical printouts of exams, visits and care-records from all doctors and physicians that saw you
  • Procuring an independent medical exam or attending an IME from a panel of professionals that will be attentive to your condition whenever necessary.
  • Plan Physical Capacities Evaluation also referred to as PCE
  • Setting up a Functional Capacities Evaluation or FCE to determine next steps
  • Results of medical exams and tests such as MRI, CT scans, and others
  • Obtaining a recommended treatment plan from a medical professional
  • Collecting medical opinions from your current medical team

More evidentiary materials may include:

  • Statements from non-medical witnesses regarding your physical abilities
  • Information from a vocational expert on your job duties and demands
  • Identify if retraining or the use of vocational services through vocational counselors and service providers are necessary
  • Collect information about the employer’s history of workplace safety and training programs

 

Manage your L&I claim closely

At our workman’s comp law firm, every workers’ comp attorney strives to build a strong case that will result in favorable claim benefits. Prior to handling the different aspects of your L&I claim, we’ll put a clear value on your case. That value will include time-loss payments for lost wages, unpaid benefits, as well as payments for medicine and treatment bills and expenses. Additionally, every workers’ comp lawyer in our law firm carefully reviews settlement contracts (as applicable, for example in the event of a CRSSA structured settlement) to ensure your legal protection after the claim closes. 

If your L&I claim manager and the insurance company refuse to provide fair handling of your claim, or are being unreasonable, the claim will move forward. In some claims, you may need to take your case to an Administrative Law Judge for a hearing or trial. Thereafter, a trial may take place with a Workers’ Compensation Board judge at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA). Further in the process, you may need to take your case to Kitsap County Superior Court, Jefferson County Superior Court, Mason County Superior Court, Thurston County Superior Court, Pierce Court Superior Court, or courts in other locations in the area.

A workman’s compensation attorney should handle everything from discovery to appeals and jury trials. Your L&I attorney should guide you through the appeals in the BIIA while also pushing for litigation with the Supreme Court as required.

 

What to expect when hiring a workers’ compensation attorney

An L&I attorney in Washington State should provide support from the time you contact their office. Often, you can get a free consultation with a workers’ compensation attorney and free claim investigation to help everyone understand your case more thoroughly.

You should expect a workers’ compensation attorney to work on a contingency basis. It’s required by law. Essentially, they shouldn’t charge you per hour, or a flat-rate fee either. Instead, you should expect a percentage of any money from your benefits to go towards legal payment, fees, and other expenses. That makes it easier for people who don’t have the financial means to hire a workman’s comp attorney. It also means that if you don’t receive anything from the claim, neither does your attorney.

Before you hire an L&I lawyer you need to discuss fee ranges and what percentage they intend to charge. It’s also important to keep in mind that in various cases an L&I attorney often negotiates much higher settlements and gets you greater benefits than you, the injured worker, could obtain on your own.

Were you hurt on the job in the Bremerton area in Washington State? We provide aid to injured workers throughout Bremerton, Port Orchard and the surrounding cities – Kingston, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Sequim, Poulsbo, Silverdale and more. Our workers’ comp attorney and staff always strive for the best possible outcome. Contact us today to speak with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer as part of a free consultation.