Legal Services

ERNWest's staff attorney, Erin Dickinson, possesses expertise in workers' compensation to include both mediation and settlement talks as well as hearings before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals and the Superior Courts of Washington.

As far as employment practices are intertwined with workers' compenstation, attorney Dickinson also handles employment law issues to include: review of and response to EEOC or Washington Human Rights Commission charges; review of employer handbooks; coordination of personnel issues to include assistance in terminations and release of liability agreements; drafting of non-compete agreements and confidentiality agreements; and general assistance with questions regarding potential legal ramifications of certain actions.

ERNWest uses Erin Dickinson's expertise in three specific ways:

1. Proactively to avoid unfavorable decisions by communicating with the Department and identifying potential issues that on appeal would be resolved in favor of the Employer. The fact that the Employer has an attorney to represent their interests helps ensure careful decision making by the Department.
   
   
2. Proactively to coordinate medical opinions and records and assist the Department of Labor and Industries in obtaining the required medical and vocational information to move claims towards closure.
   
   
3. Reactively to appeal unfavorable decisions, these appeals can either be resolved in mediation or settlement talks, or they may proceed onto a hearing before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals. In some circumstances, the Employer may wish to appeal a Board decision to the Superior Court of Washington. Our attorney is available for every step of the way.

If legal services are not included in your membership with an association and you are interested in obtaining them, contact your claims manager or you can email attorney Dickinson with an inquiry at edickinson@ernwest.com.