An L&I claim is easy to start

Washington State Workers' Compensation attorney Chris Sharpe explains what to do:

• See a doctor. Tell the doctor this is a job injury. Both you and the doctor fill out a Report of Industrial Injury or Occupational Disease (ROI). The doctor should have blank copies of that form readily available. If not, contact us and we will mail a state fund ROI to you.
• File that report of injury with L&I for state fund cases or the employer for self insured cases. The doctor should do that for you.
• If you don't know if your case is state fund or self insured you can ask your employer, or just complete and file a state fund ROI and L&I will figure it out for you.
• When you file that report of injury, L&I is obligated to pay the doctor for your first visit.
• File your L&I ROI claim within the statute of limitations. One year for injuries. Two years or possibly more for occupational diseases.

Be careful about some doctor's offices.

• Before you get started ask the doctor's office if they take L&I claims and treat L&I patients. Some don't. If they don't, then find another doctor.
• Double check on your way out that they have filed a report of injury for you. Get the claim number.
• Be extra careful if the doctor's office wants your health insurance information.
• For some doctor's offices this is simply a back up and their having this information is okay.
• Some doctor's don't like L&I claims and will try and bill your health insurance. Don't let this happen. It's not appropriate and the doctor may "neglect" to file the L&I claim. This could be a big problem for you. Because if you don't file a claim you could miss the statute of limitations.

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