The following information comes from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries official industrial poster which all employers are required to post.
If a job injury occurs...
Your employer is insured through the Department of Labor
& Industries’ workers’ compensation program. If you are
injured on the job or develop an occupational disease, you
are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
Benefits include:
Medical care. Medical expenses resulting from your
workplace injury or disease will be paid by the workers’
compensation program.
Disability income. If your work-related medical condition
prevents you from working, you may be eligible for benefits
to partially replace your wages.
Vocational assistance. Under certain conditions, you may be
eligible for help in returning to work.
Partial disability benefits. You may be eligible for a
monetary award to compensate for the loss of body functions.
Pensions. Injuries that permanently keep you from returning
to work may qualify you for a disability pension.
Death benefits for survivors. If a worker dies, the surviving
spouse or registered domestic partner and/or dependents
may receive a pension.
What you should do...
Report your injury. If you are injured, no matter how minor
the injury seems, contact the person in charge of L&I claims.
Get medical care. You may choose any health-care provider
who is qualified to treat your injury. Qualified health-care
providers include: medical, osteopathic, chiropractic,
naturopathic and podiatric physicians; dentists; optometrists;
ophthalmologists; physician assistants; and advanced
registered nurse practitioners.
Tell your health-care provider that your injury or condition
is work related. Your health-care provider will complete a
Report of Industrial Injury or Occupational Disease form and
send it in. This is the first step in filing your workers’
compensation (industrial insurance) claim.
File your claim within set time frames. For an on-the-job
injury, you must file a claim and the Department of Labor &
Industries (L&I) must receive it within one year after the day
the injury occurred. For an occupational disease, you must file
a claim and L&I must receive it within two years following the
date you are advised by a health-care provider in writing that
your condition is work related.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Auto Accident and Personal Injury Protection Insurance (PIP)
If you recently bought insurance for a vehicle, you may have discussed the need for PIP insurance on your vehicle. In the State of Washington, personal injury protection insurance or PIP is not required by law, however; insurance agents are required to offer you PIP and unless you sign a form specifically stating that you are rejecting PIP insurance, you most likely have coverage. So, what is it and what does it do for me if I am in an accident?
The Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner states that PIP is insurance coverage for medical and other expenses, such as wage loss and funeral expenses, which result from an auto accident, no matter who is at fault. In other words, PIP is like cheap health and life insurance if you happen to be in an auto accident.
The minimum benefits from a basic PIP plan are as follows:
* Up to $10,000 for reasonable and necessary medical expenses for each individual injured in an auto accident. This is available for up to three years from the date of the accident.
* Up to $200 per week for income replacement coverage. This is limited to one year after a person has been disabled for 14 consecutive days after the accident.
* Up to $2,000 for funeral expenses.
* Up to $5,000 for loss of services (payment to others for work you can’t do).
You can buy more coverage. Check with your insurance company or agent.
Who is covered by my PIP? Again, the Washington State OIC states: PIP covers the person who is named on the policy, household residents related by blood, marriage or adoption, and step- or foster children. It also covers non-family passengers and pedestrians involved in the accident.
If I'm not at fault does PIP raise my insurance rates? No, it should not. Your insurance company will pay for your medical costs, income replacement, etc. from your PIP coverage, but will re-coup those costs from the insurance company of the person who was at fault.
At Chan Chiropractic we see many auto injury cases where people, who are injured in an accident, have the added stress of worrying about how to pay for expenses incurred by the accident. Patients who have PIP coverage rarely have to worry about how to cover their expenses or have to go through a lawyer to get a settlement to cover their expenses. For the cost, PIP is the best insurance money can buy.
If you have been injured in an auto accident and have questions about your insurance coverage or injuries call us at any of our convenient Seattle area locations.
Seattle - Chinatown Office
608 8th Ave. S.
Seattle, WA98104
Tel: (206) 233-0818
Fax: (206) 292-9340
Skyway - Renton Office
12419 Renton Ave. S.
Seattle, WA98178
Tel: (206) 772-0088
Fax: (206) 772-5420
Bellevue Office
14862 SE Lake Hills Blvd.
Bellevue, WA 98007
Tel: (425) 649-9335
Fax: (425) 649-0256
Renton-Kent Office
500 SW 39th St, Suite 150
Renton, WA 98057
Tel: (425) 264-2590
Fax: (425) 264-2591
The Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner states that PIP is insurance coverage for medical and other expenses, such as wage loss and funeral expenses, which result from an auto accident, no matter who is at fault. In other words, PIP is like cheap health and life insurance if you happen to be in an auto accident.
The minimum benefits from a basic PIP plan are as follows:
* Up to $10,000 for reasonable and necessary medical expenses for each individual injured in an auto accident. This is available for up to three years from the date of the accident.
* Up to $200 per week for income replacement coverage. This is limited to one year after a person has been disabled for 14 consecutive days after the accident.
* Up to $2,000 for funeral expenses.
* Up to $5,000 for loss of services (payment to others for work you can’t do).
You can buy more coverage. Check with your insurance company or agent.
Who is covered by my PIP? Again, the Washington State OIC states: PIP covers the person who is named on the policy, household residents related by blood, marriage or adoption, and step- or foster children. It also covers non-family passengers and pedestrians involved in the accident.
If I'm not at fault does PIP raise my insurance rates? No, it should not. Your insurance company will pay for your medical costs, income replacement, etc. from your PIP coverage, but will re-coup those costs from the insurance company of the person who was at fault.
At Chan Chiropractic we see many auto injury cases where people, who are injured in an accident, have the added stress of worrying about how to pay for expenses incurred by the accident. Patients who have PIP coverage rarely have to worry about how to cover their expenses or have to go through a lawyer to get a settlement to cover their expenses. For the cost, PIP is the best insurance money can buy.
If you have been injured in an auto accident and have questions about your insurance coverage or injuries call us at any of our convenient Seattle area locations.
Seattle - Chinatown Office
608 8th Ave. S.
Seattle, WA98104
Tel: (206) 233-0818
Fax: (206) 292-9340
Skyway - Renton Office
12419 Renton Ave. S.
Seattle, WA98178
Tel: (206) 772-0088
Fax: (206) 772-5420
Bellevue Office
14862 SE Lake Hills Blvd.
Bellevue, WA 98007
Tel: (425) 649-9335
Fax: (425) 649-0256
Renton-Kent Office
500 SW 39th St, Suite 150
Renton, WA 98057
Tel: (425) 264-2590
Fax: (425) 264-2591
Monday, March 21, 2011
Our new blog!
Welcome to our new blog for Chan Chiropractic! We are going to be updating regularly with information about chiropractic care and about auto and worker's injury cases. Please feel free to suggest any topics you would like us to discuss.
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