L&I or your self-insured employer must receive your claim application within one year of your injury date to file a claim. We must receive it within two years from the date of your doctor's diagnosis for occupational disease claims.

Yes. You can file by phone at 1-877-561-FILE.

Information about your injury, employer, wages, diagnosis, treatment and other background information. (Note: The report is called the Report of Industrial Injury or Occupational Disease. If your employer is self-insured, it is called the Self Insurer Accident Report (SIF-2). Your doctor may complete the Physicians Initial Report. If your injury limits your ability to work, your doctor will also complete an Activity Prescription Form (F242‑385‑000).)

If you're an apprentice, you should look at What to Do If Injured as an Apprentice on the job or during training.

• A Claim Arrival Card.
• A First Payment Letter.
• A copy of an information pamphlet, Getting Back to Work: It's Your Job and Your Future (F200‑001‑000).
• A copy of Workers' Guide to Industrial Insurance Benefits (F242‑104‑000).
• Legal documents called Notices of Decision.
• Correspondence asking for more information, if needed.
• If you are receiving time‑loss compensation, you will also receive a Worker Verification Form (F242‑052‑000).

• Designated copy of the Self Insurer Accident Report (SIF-2) (pink copy).
• Current copy of L&I's pamphlet A Guide to Industrial Insurance Benefits for Employees of Self-Insured Businesses (F207‑085‑000).
• The name, address, and phone number of the person or organization handling your claim.

Your doctor has five days to send the report to L&I or your self-insured employer. L&I's or your self-insured employer's processing time will vary, depending on the type of claim. If you are eligible for wage-replacement benefits, and no further information is needed, L&I or your self-insured employer sends the first benefit check within 14 days of receiving the report.

If you are still confused by the claim process, you can call Project HELP at 1-800-255-9752. They are a cooperative effort between L&I and the Washington State Labor Council (AFL-CIO), and can provide you with one-on-one counseling to help you navigate the claims process.

Project HELP can assist you with both self-insured and state fund claims.

Please let us know right away, so your claim isn't delayed. Address changes at L&I must be made in writing via fax or mail and include your claim number and authorizing signature. You can also update your information in the Claim & Account Center . If your employer is self‑insured, send a written notification to both L&I and your employer or their third-party administrator (TPA).

For doctor changes, let us know online at www.TransferCare.Lni.wa.gov or use the Case Transfer Card (F245‑037‑000).

• Your rights, benefits, and responsibilities for your claim will remain the same. Washington laws will always apply to your claim regardless of where you live.
• Many doctors and health-care providers in other states don't accept workers' compensation cases. Find a Doctor in your area.
• All health care providers who treat you must have a provider account with Washington L&I in order to be paid. This includes pharmacies, hospitals, therapists, doctors, clinics and all other providers.
• Out of state providers may need to use the L&I Web site to get needed forms to file your claim as well as billing forms for their services.
• A Washington worker can file a claim in Washington even if the injury occurs out of state. You may file claims in both Washington State and in the state or country in which you were injured but any benefits you receive from another state will be credited against any benefits to which you may be eligible from L&I. Notify L&I if you filed a claim in another state or country.

• Call 800-831-5227 for a fast, automated update on the status of your claim in English or Spanish (en Español).
• Call 800-547-8367 for a customer service representative. Spanish (en Español) speaking staff or translation service available.
• Call 360-902-5797 for hearing/speech impaired TDD service.
• For self-insured claims, contact your self-insured employer or their claim representative. If you disagree with how your self-insured employer or their representative is managing your claim, contact Self-Insurance at L&I.

Your claim manager's phone number is located on all correspondence. You may also contact your local L&I office and ask for a "48-hour phone referral." Your claim manager should call you within 48 hours.

For self-insured claims management questions, contact your employer or their claim representative.

• Complete the Authorization to Release Claim Information form (F101‑010‑000), sign it, and mail to your claim manager.
• Give an authorized delegate access to your claim information online. You may choose to authorize other people to have online access to your claim. These may include family members, union representatives or anyone you choose. These authorized delegates will need to complete their own registration for the Claim & Account Center as an Authorized Delegate and request access to your information. You will then be notified by email and you will need to log onto the Claim & Account Center and click on 'My Profile' to act on their request. They won't get access until you approve them.

• Please let us know right away, so your claim isn't delayed. You can register to use the secure Claim & Account Center to update your address and phone number online or you can mail or fax the address change request to your claim manager. For doctor changes, use the Change of Attending Physician (F245‑037‑000) form.
• For self-insured claims, send changes directly to your employer. For more information see self‑insured address change information.

These exams (called "IMEs") are performed when:

• L&I needs to know the extent of any impairment you may have.
• L&I has a question about your treatment, or its duration.
• You are asking to have your claim allowed, reopened or closed.
• You want a reconsideration of an L&I decision or are appealing — and we need more information.
• Your doctor, employer or claim manager has asked for an evaluation of your condition.

Doctors or panels of doctors who regularly give impartial medical opinions about a worker's condition or medical treatment. A claim manager will request it for you, if needed.

L&I pays for the cost of the exam, as well as any expenses you may have traveling to the exam or missing work.

More IME information is contained in the pamphlet Your Independent Medical Examination (F245‑224‑000).

An IME Comments Form (F245‑053‑000) is available online or you may call 1‑888‑784‑8059 to request a comment form. You can specify your preferred language.

• You may have to return to Washington for an independent medical examination. If needed, L&I or your self-insured employer will pay for your transportation, lodging, meals, and wage replacement for lost wages to attend the exam.

Your employer may not discriminate against you simply because you filed a claim. However, your employer may fire you and replace you with another worker if no one else can do your job and no light-duty jobs are available - or if your injury happened because you violated a safety rule.

Washington's workers' compensation is "no-fault" insurance. Workers are covered regardless of what caused the on-the-job injury. However, if it was caused by the failure of a machine, product or someone who is not your coworker, you have the right to sue such a "third party."

You may change doctors as long as your claim manager approves it. Use the online Transfer of Care or by completing a Case Transfer card. If you wish to get a second medical opinion — about your treatment or upcoming surgery, for example — call your claim manager for approval.

Yes. You may receive benefits regardless of who was at fault.

Yes. You and your doctor may apply to reopen your claim if there is objective medical evidence (physical evidence your doctor can measure) that your medical condition is a result of the same injury and that it has worsened since the claim closed.

If you disagree with an L&I decision as your claim is being processed, you, your employer and your doctor all have the right to protest. Read protest instructions.

Dispute a decision your self-insured employer has made on your claim by writing to the Self-Insurance Section at L&I.

If you are still confused by the claim process, you can call Project HELP at 1-800-255-9752. They are a cooperative effort between L&I and the Washington State Labor Council (AFL-CIO), and can provide you with one-on-one counseling to help you navigate the claims process.

Project HELP can assist you with both self-insured and state fund claims.

• Your rights, benefits, and responsibilities for your claim will remain the same. Washington laws will always apply to your claim regardless of where you live.
• Many doctors and health-care providers in other states don't accept workers' compensation cases. Find a Doctor in your area.

• Working shorter hours.
• Performing transitional work. For example, performing some of your original duties, or different duties with lighter physical demands.
• Performing a different job temporarily.
• Working in a modified job. For example, making adjustments to the job or work site to meet your physical limitations, or providing tools, equipment or appliances that allow you to work while recovering.

If your employer offers you a job that your doctor approves, you must take the job in order to continue receiving benefits. However, you are not required to accept any job that would violate your doctors restrictions.

You may apply for Loss of Earning Power benefits through L&I. This program will help supplement your salary while you are working, if your claim is still open.

Time-loss benefits help workers who miss more than three days of work right after the accident. But these benefits only cover a portion of their lost wages (60% for a single person). More on benefit calculations in the Workers Guide to Industrial Insurance (F242‑104‑000), pages 8 to 9.

Stay at Work reimburses your employer to keep you working in a light-duty or modified job while you recover.

You are more likely to earn close to your original wage/salary on a light-duty job than you are on time-loss. You also stay connected to your workplace and your job. Studies show that the longer you are off work, the harder it is to get back to your original job and wages.

It benefits your employer because they get paid 50% of your base wage, as well as expenses such as training and tools related to the light-duty job. They also get to keep an experienced employee on board.

You are considered a worker of whatever state your employer has a place of business, if you regularly work at or from that place of business.

• If your employer has a place of business in Washington and you regularly work at or from that place of business, you are a Washington worker.
• If your employer's place of business is in another state other than Washington and you regularly work at or from that place of business, you are considered a worker of the state that place of business is located, and you aren't a Washington worker.

If your employer doesn't have a place of business in the state where you work, you are considered a worker of the state you reside, if you work a substantial amount of your time in the state where you reside.

• If your home is in Washington you work a substantial amount of your time in Washington, you are a Washington worker.
• If you home is in another state and you work a substantial amount of your time in that state, then you are considered a worker in the state where you reside, and you aren't a Washington worker.

If your employer has no business location in the state you work, and you don't live in the state you work, then you will be a Washington worker only if your contract of hire was made in the state of Washington.