If an individual has been injured in his workplace and has problems with his workers’ compensation claim being rejected, he may need the services of an L and I Attorney in Centralia, WA. This type of lawyer specializes in matters involving labor and industries in the state, and he can provide skilled legal representation for the employee. Organizations that hire employees in Washington are required to open a workers’ compensation account with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. However, that does not mean that every employee who is injured at the workplace is eligible to collect. Sometimes an employee is technically eligible but the organization disputes his eligibility, a situation that often requires legal representation. In addition, sometimes a claim is denied because of a lack of information being provided by the employee.
A claim that has been paid in the past also can be closed by the department. The organization may have offered the employee a chance to return to work in a lighter-duty job, for instance. If the employee turns this opportunity down, he may find his workers’ compensation payments canceled. He may feel that he is still too incapacitated to work full-time, even in a light-duty position. Land I Attorney Services at Putnam Lieb in Centralia, WA may be able to assist him in having his workers’ comp payments started again, including the retroactive payments he had not been able to collect previously.
Another example of a situation that may lead to a dispute between the employer and the employee involves the employee’s need for surgery to return to his job. That surgery may not be required for him to continue living a fulfilling life, and he may just as soon not have a medical operation performed. The employer, however, may see matters differently. The payments to the employee for lost income are being taken from the employer’s fund with the Department of Labor & Industries. The employer typically wants this situation to end as soon as is reasonably possible. Legal representation may help the injured person continue to receive compensation while he seeks employment that does not require him to have invasive surgery.
