Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Seattle

2731 77th Ave SE
Suite 203
Mercer Island, WA 98040

If you are hurt of the job in a workplace accident or otherwise, you must be thinking that your workers’ compensation claim will handle it all. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Instead, injured workers and employees are often left with physical pain and lingering issues related to their claim. They may require more medical treatment because of their workplace injury even after their L&I claim or workers’ compensation claim closes, resulting in frustration and financial distress. Furthermore, time-loss and other payments may be delayed or completely terminated, and many other problems can arise throughout your claim.

One of the best workers’ compensation attorney and law firm offices in Seattle

The stress that comes after an injury at work isn’t necessarily from the injury itself. It’s mostly due to lost time at work, missed paychecks, lower paychecks when working part time while trying to get better, and the need to continue to support your family. Too often, the workers’ comp system mistreats the victim and injured workers don’t hire a workman’s compensation attorney when they should.

The two most critical aspects of recovery from a work injury are medical recovery and financial recovery. The lack of income while you’re staying at home because of your work injury can cause people to return to work too quickly, not recover fully, or jump into a new job that they feel they are capable of doing. This shouldn’t be the case. Workers’ compensation laws in Washington State were created to let a work injury claimant fully get better from their injuries before they return to work. And if you are unable to return to your original job, or unable to work at all because of your work incident, then the law is here to support you.

Every Seattle workers’ compensation attorney at our law firm is here to help victims overcome this stumbling block. Each workers’ compensation attorney in Seattle at our office will always pursue fair and full compensation and benefits aggressively, taking your case to court if necessary.

With decades of workplace injury experience, our Seattle workers’ compensation law firm offers victims access to legal counsel. We provide a free consultation and free claim investigation services for any employee who is a victim of an at-work accident. We give workers in the Greater Seattle area the full attention and help they need with their L&I claim or self-insured employer claim management and handling. Our goal at Reck Law – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys is to put up the best possible fight for you to get the maximum compensation and benefits that you deserve.

How can a workman’s compensation lawyer in Seattle help me?

Washington State has various laws that protect both employers and employees. Our attorneys focus on claimant protection and how to ensure that you get everything you rightfully deserve. Most victims don’t seek out professional legal help because they have faith that the workers’ compensation system will support them. In reality, the situation is such that L&I or insurance companies decide who receives proper compensation and who doesn’t, and the results can be highly circumstantial and subjective. Is you L&I claim manager denying your condition? Is your third-party claim administrator refusing to authorize medical tests or exams that relate to your industrial work injury? Then you should seek the help of a top workers’ compensation law firm in Seattle.

When hiring a workers’ compensation attorney in Seattle for a workers’ comp injury, you should expect that one of our attorneys will walk you through every step of the process. Hiring an L&I attorney does not outright mean you’re taking legal actions against anyone. It does mean that you’re protecting your rights from an insurance company or the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), which is a state-managed insurance fund.

Typically, insurance companies will deny claims or certain stages in claims if they feel they can get away with it. After a denial of your claim or after you receive unfavorable decisions, you will need to move forward into appeals. The appeal process can be very stressful, and your monetary benefits might be on hold throughout the process, while you’re still out of work. We find that many injured employees often give up during this step and instead go back to work, even though they are not ready for medical and other reasons.

Again, the reality is that L&I claim managers or third-party administrators with self-insured employer insurance companies aren’t on your side. So, while your employer might have an insurance company with a high-powered legal team, you might get stuck with little to no compensation even though you fully deserve it by law.

Do I need a workers’ comp attorney? And why?

A workman’s compensation attorney will help you understand a few things. First, why you should never sign any document from an insurance company without having a workers’ compensation lawyer read it first. Second, what the strengths and weaknesses of your L&I claim are. Moreover, how to best present your case and make sure you get all the benefits you deserve according to the Industrial Insurance Act in Washington State.

A work injury attorney in Seattle helps you build a strong claim. They’ll cut down the amount of stress you experience and hand-hold you throughout all the difficult steps in the L&I claim process and even after. Ultimately, they should take over:

All communication with your employer, your workers’ compensation claim manager, the workman’s compensation insurance, your vocational counselor, and all other parties in your L&I claim
Collecting evidence for your claim supporting your present and future medical needs as they relate to your injury and claim
After you recover, if you are on a path to receive a settlement offer for your residual medical conditions – negotiate the best settlement outcome for you
Appeal L&I decisions, file appeals on time, and present your case to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA)
Continue appealing your claim to King County Superior Court or any other jurisdiction including King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, or Skagit County, wherever the case may be

Which areas do you serve?

Reck Law – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys is a leading workers’ comp law firm and is available to help victims who are ready to fight for their recovery and rights. Our team will help you answer questions, and we will work on your behalf. We will take your claim and conduct a full investigation. We’ll also help you process the claim through the insurance company in a way that should reduce denial chances or the need for an appeal.

Our Seattle workers’ compensation attorney law office is in Mercer Island and helps work injury claimants in Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, Kenmore, Bothell and Lake Stevens. If you are looking for one of the best workers’ compensation attorney and law firms in Kirkland, Sammamish, Everett, Shoreline, Lynnwood, SeaTac or Marysville, Mountlake Terrace or Mill Creek, please call our office to see how we can help. Our workers’ compensation attorney firm also helps people that reside in Snohomish, Newcastle, Snoqualmie, Edmonds, North Bend, and Woodinville.

Wherever you may reside, a workman’s compensation attorney should fully manage your case, and that’s what we offer at Reck Law – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys. When you need a workman’s compensation attorney for your claim, call us for free consultation and we’ll tell you if you need to hire an attorney or if you can handle your claim on your own.

When to hire a workers’ comp attorney?

After you get hurt at work in a workplace accident, you must go see a medical doctor. Your physician will help you file a workers’ compensation claim. If things go as they should, your L&I claim will be approved, your medical bills will be covered by L&I, and you will receive checks and payments for your time off work. However, in most cases, obstacles arise quickly.

If L&I does not approve your claim, or if L&I is not authorizing medical treatment for the conditions pertaining to your work injury, or if you feel that your claim manager or vocational counselor is mistreating you in any way, then you should consult with a workers’ compensation attorney. Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you are unsure, please pick up the phone and call us for consultation, and we can tell you if you need to hire a workers’ comp attorney. In some cases, hiring an attorney too late in the process can significantly impede your chances of getting some benefits.

In many cases, people try to manage and fight their own L&I claims. Some do it very well. Others let the system dictate the path of their claim progress, and eventually they find themselves with a closed L&I claim and reduced compensation, compared to what they are entitled to under the law. There are very strict rules about appealing decisions. There are timely actions to be taken. If you miss any rules or time limits, then your chances of recovering some of your benefits can be low. Denials, appeals, court appearances, and other hurdles often arise in many workers’ compensation claims. We are here to help.

Should I get an L&I attorney for my L&I claim?

It’s always better to seek legal help from a workman’s compensation attorney to sort out any confusing aspect of your claim. If anything is unclear or seems complex, it’s best not to handle it alone. For a strong L&I claim, you need a Seattle workplace injury lawyer. They will put their legal knowledge, numerous resources, experience with insurance claims, and more, to create a strong and cohesive case that shows all of your medical and financial rights in front of your claim manager. If you experience any of these events, consider hiring a workers’ compensation attorney in Seattle:

You’re receiving ongoing medical treatment and might need ongoing medical attention for a long period of time
Medical treatment options for a full recovery are extensive
Your injury might result in permanent partial disability (PPD) or even permanent disability status limiting your ability to work for life
Your claim was denied or closed unfairly
You have a preexisting injury that may be relevant in the case
Claim denial have led to restricted access to medical needs or the claim manager is not authorizing medical treatment
Your injuries will make it impossible to return to your line of work
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are delaying your claim or impacting the payments you are receiving from L&I or the private insurance company
Your L&I claim was closed while you were still receiving treatment
Your claim is going into an appeal or a hearing with the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA)

Let us build the case for your L&I claim

An attorney’s relationship with their injured worker client will revolve almost entirely around the claim strategy. Building a strong claim will require a deep understanding of job functions, employer details, and medical needs for recovery. It also requires having a good personal network of providers, including medical providers and vocational counselors that are sympathetic to the needs of injured workers.

With a skilled L&I lawyer or a workman’s compensation attorney, you can rely on medical evidence and supporting evidence to showcase the strengths of your case. The medical evidence may include:

Your medical records from past or more recent medical visits and exams
Statements or insights from medical experts that specialize in the injured body areas
Depositions from expert witnesses who can speak on the nature of the injury, treatment, or accident
Recommendation and treatment plan from your medical team
Medical opinions from doctors who treated your injury
referrals and results to and from Functional Capacities Evaluation (FCE) and Physical Capacities evaluations (PCE) exams
Referrals and results from panels that perform Independent Medical Exam (IME) tests as necessary or when L&I requests them

Additional sources of testimonial materials can include:

Statements from family, friends, coworkers, or bystanders on the injury and accident
Statements from family and friends that explain your physical abilities
Vocational experts that layout the demands of your job
And much more

Take control of your workers’ compensation claim

Allow a local Seattle workers’ compensation attorney who understands the in and out of the workers’ comp system to handle and manage your claim. With Reck Law – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys you’ll have access to a legal team and a personal, skilled, and experienced workman’s compensation lawyer and staff. We will help you build a claim strategy that will ideally result in maximum benefits, including medical expenses as well as lost wages.

When our clients are treated unfairly and receive unfavorable decisions regarding their L&I claim, we will appeal those decisions and take them up the chain. It’s not uncommon to argue your case within the higher ranks at L&I, or to take your case to an Administrative Law Judge, or to Superior Court. Your workman’s compensation attorney will handle every step from discovery through to appeals and litigation. A workers’ comp lawyer will explain every step in the process and even push for review from the Supreme Court if necessary.

Hire a workers’ compensation attorney in Seattle

Working with an L&I attorney will give you the support you need as soon as you contact their office. Our workers’ compensation law firm in Seattle provides workplace injury victims a free consultation so that everyone will understand what to expect throughout their workers’ compensation claim more clearly.

You should expect your work injury lawyer to rely on a contingency contract. That means that you’re not paying a flat-rate or an hourly fee rate for their legal services. Instead, you pay a percentage of what the attorneys recovers for you in practice. This type of attorney fee structure allows work accident victims to access legal help even when there is little financial stability in their lives.

An L&I lawyer will likely negotiate and achieve much higher and better benefits for your workers’ compensation claim than what you would get on your own. If you were hurt while working in the Greater Seattle area, then contact our Seattle workers’ compensation law firm. Talk to one of our legal team members today for a free consultation and claim investigation.