Securing Claim Closure in Washington
So you want to close a claim or secure settlement of a claim but the worker isn’t old enough for a claim resolution settlement agreement (CRSA)…what do you do?
SBH might have the answer for you!
There’s a new department coversheet for stipulated claim closures available on the Department’s website (and in the claims adjudication guidelines). A stipulated request for closure can include requests for segregation or acceptance of conditions and permanent disability awards. There are several conditions that must be met before the Department will take action on the request:
- All parties (self-insured employer and worker) must be represented;
- The stipulation must be accompanied by a completed stipulation coversheet;
- The signed stipulation should only include actions being requested (i.e., claim closure with or without PPD; claim closure with or without segregation);
- All medical documentation and/or declarations supporting the medical aspects of the agreement (i.e., medically fixity, employability) must be included with the request; and
- A copy of the SIF-2 must be attached (unless it was previously submitted to the Department’s claim file).
The stipulation coversheet includes spots for all of the above information as well as the information you would normally provide as part of a request for claim closure (i.e., time loss paid dates, LEP paid dates, attending physician information).
If a worker isn’t eligible for CRSA but you have a reasonable claimant’s attorney who might be willing to work with you on a stipulated closure, this could be a useful alternative to secure claim closure without litigation.
If you have any questions about stipulated closures, please feel free to contact me at 503-412-3111 or email me at .
Posted by Elyse Lopez.
