Mr. Douglas Wyckoff is a very knowledgeable and helpful lawyer who has been there through every step for almost 10 years. He and his staff are always ready to help and answer any questions. My wife and I sincerely thank you Doug and staff for always being with us through it all.
David
I can’t say enough on my appreciation to the whole staff for taking care of me like I was #1…….even after the case they continue to take care of any questions I might have had and they fought tooth and nail to make things right in my case. They really did hold my hand thru the entire process + and thanks to all the staff for fighting for me and helping me thru this. special thanks to Julie Hatcher for your help and keeping my nerves in check. Thank you all….
He was able to obtain a pension for me after a long battle (almost 6 years). I don’t believe it would have happened without him. By allowing him to handle everything, it relieved a lot of stress for my wife and me.
Doug Wyckoff is a pleasure to work with. He has a quick response time when there is a matter that needs to be reviewed and advice given.
Doug was very easy to work with. His staff was very responsive when I had a question or a concern. We always felt informed and supported through this difficult process.
Dane was always there when I had a question or a problem. He fought for my rights. And did not let L&I push me around. I would recommend him to anyone in need of a L & I lawyer.
Mr. Ostrander was able to get me back on L&I after they had stopped my time loss saying I was able to work in an office, and I had no recent experience in an office. He was also able to get me on permanent disability.
View our new Jib Jab video- Happy St. Patrick’s Day – click here
WWO encourages everyone to be charitable throughout the year, but especially during the holidays. Our firm sponsors families through the Salvation Army and the Boys and Girls Club of Thurston County. If you are able to assist those in need, we recommend you visit the following websites;
Frequently, workers compensation claims boil down to medical causation. That is, whether your condition is, in part, related to your industrial injury or occupational disease/repetitive trauma. The key here is the “in part” requirement. There can be several factors contributing to your condition, such as age, arthritis, smoking, obesity, etc. However, only part of your condition must be due to the industrial injury or occupational disease/repetitive trauma. This is true even if the injury accelerates your need for a surgery you were destined to undergo in the future, regardless of the on the job injury. Workers compensations benefits are not limited to those workers in good health.
Lighting up doctrine: If you have a pre-existing condition that is “lit up” (aggravated or exacerbated) by the industrial injury or occupational disease/repetitive trauma, then it is an allowable condition. The fact that you had a pre-existing condition, or a predisposition toward a problem, does not prevent your workers’ compensation benefits.
A parallel can be drawn to the old adage about the straw that broke the camel’s back. Camels are great pack animals, and can carry a significant load for their size. One can keep loading the camel’s back and, instead of gradually bending under the load, the camel appears to suffer without complaint until the last, tiny additional weight (a straw), in which case the camel suddenly collapses. Thus, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Likewise, you may sustain a normally minor on the job injury, which is your last straw, causing that area of your body to completely give out. This would be an allowable condition. This makes sense because pre-existing conditions may make a person more susceptible to injury or cause their injury to be worse than if a person in good health sustained the same injury.
Our Supreme Court has stated that “The worker whose work acts upon a pre-existing disease to produce disability where none existed before is just as injured in his or her employment as is the worker who contracts a disease as a result of employment conditions …. The worker is to be taken as he or she is, with all his or her pre-existing
frailties and bodily infirmities.” Dennis v. Department of Labor and Indus., 109 Wn.2d 467, 745 P.2d 1295 (1987).
For example, if you have a significant amount of arthritis in your knee and you have a small misstep at work, causing additional injury to your knee requiring a knee replacement, then the surgery should be covered under workers compensation. This would be true even if you were destined to have a knee replacement in the future. The misstep was the straw that broke the camel’s back.