McCaulley v. Dep't of Labor & Indus. of Wash.

**McCaulley v. Department of Labor & Industries of Washington** This case involved a worker named McCaulley who was injured on the job and participated in Washington state's vocational rehabilitation program. McCaulley chose "Option 2" of this program, which helps injured workers retrain for new careers when they can't return to their original jobs. After completing the program, McCaulley sought to receive permanent disability benefits, claiming he was still unable to work due to his injuries. The court sided with the Department of Labor & Industries and denied McCaulley's request for disability benefits. The court ruled that because McCaulley had chosen to participate in the vocational rehabilitation program's Option 2, he could not later claim permanent or temporary disability benefits unless he could prove his medical condition had gotten worse since completing the program. **What this means for workers:** If you're injured at work and choose to participate in vocational rehabilitation training instead of immediately seeking disability benefits, you may limit your ability to get those benefits later. Workers should carefully consider their options and understand that choosing retraining programs might affect their eligibility for future disability payments. It's important to fully understand the long-term consequences before making this decision.