Zbigniew Laskowski v. State Of Washington, Department Of Labor And Industries

**What Happened** Zbigniew Laskowski was receiving workers' compensation disability benefits from Washington State's Department of Labor and Industries after a workplace injury. When he also began receiving Social Security disability benefits, the state reduced his workers' compensation payments to avoid duplicate benefits for the same disability. Laskowski challenged this reduction, arguing the state calculated the offset incorrectly and disagreed with when the reduction should begin and how cost-of-living increases should be handled. **What the Court Decided** The Washington Court of Appeals sided with the state agency. The court ruled that the Department of Labor and Industries correctly calculated how much to reduce Laskowski's workers' compensation benefits when he started receiving Social Security disability payments. The court rejected his arguments about the timing of the reduction and cost-of-living adjustments. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling confirms that Washington State can reduce workers' compensation benefits when someone also receives Social Security disability benefits for the same injury. Workers should understand that receiving both types of benefits simultaneously may result in lower total payments than expected, as the state will offset one against the other to prevent duplicate compensation.