Purdy-Peterson v. Department of Labor & Industries

**What happened:** A worker died from an occupational disease he developed on the job. Four years after his death, his surviving spouse filed a claim with the state's workers' compensation system (called industrial insurance) to receive death benefits. The Department of Labor & Industries denied her claim, saying she had waited too long to file it. **What the court decided:** The court sided with the Department of Labor & Industries and upheld the denial of benefits. The court found that the surviving spouse knew about her husband's work-related illness and his death, but waited four years to file her claim. Since the law requires these claims to be filed within two years, her claim was too late and therefore invalid. **Why this matters for workers:** This case highlights the critical importance of timing when filing workers' compensation claims, especially for occupational diseases and death benefits. Workers and their families must act quickly—typically within two years—once they know about a work-related injury, illness, or death. Waiting too long can result in losing the right to benefits entirely, even if the claim is otherwise valid. Families should seek help immediately after discovering a work-related health problem or death.