Ferenćak v. Department of Labor & Industries

**Ferenćak v. Department of Labor & Industries: Court Upholds Agency's Workers' Compensation Decisions** This case involved a worker who challenged several decisions made by Washington's Department of Labor & Industries regarding their workers' compensation claim. The worker disagreed with how the agency calculated their wages for benefit purposes, wanted interpreter services to communicate with their attorney, and objected to various procedural decisions made during their claim process. The Washington Court of Appeals sided with the Department of Labor & Industries on all issues. The court upheld the agency's method for calculating the worker's wages, which determines how much money they receive in workers' compensation benefits. The court also supported the department's decision to deny interpreter services for communications between the worker and their attorney, as well as other procedural rulings. **What this means for workers:** This ruling shows that courts generally give significant deference to the Department of Labor & Industries' decisions about workers' compensation claims. Workers should understand that challenging the agency's wage calculations or procedural decisions can be difficult. If you need language assistance during a workers' compensation claim, it's important to know that interpreter services may not be provided for all communications, particularly those with your attorney.