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Thank you for your trust and partnership in 2023
The days have shortened, the leaves have all fallen, and there are but a precious few pages remaining on my Calvin and Hobbes desk calendar, so I suppose it’s about time to bid farewell to 2023.
This season is often spent reflecting on the successes and challenges of the year, the milestones passed, and the journeys left to travel. Before we get into our year at Carlisle + Byers, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our clients, past and present. Your trust in our practices and principles and our passion for working with you made 2023 another meaningful year.
The end of the year also brings about some nagging questions:
What did we accomplish, and what could we have done differently?
What should our firm’s resolutions be for the new year?
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie or not?
What we’ve accomplished this year
Carlisle + Byers turned ten in 2023, and we’re just getting started. We continue to work in and on our firm to find new ways to connect with our clients and community and incorporate new technology and tools to support our mission of achieving results.
This year, working with an amazing team at Outsource Marketing, we’ve updated our website for quick access to news and tips on the goings-on with the Department of Labor and Industries and the state legislature. We’ve beefed up our web content with more blogs, glossaries, FAQs, and resources to help injured workers and those suffering the aftermath of motor vehicle collisions and the inevitable fight against insurance companies.
Carlisle + Byers also thoroughly enjoyed being part of this community, volunteering and engaging in several programs, including the 90+ project, the Chase Youth Commission, and STAHR – the Short-Term After Hours Animal Rescue.
Collectively, the plaintiff’s bar in Washington has made several gains in shedding light on the L&I process and Self-Insured Employers in particular, not the least of which was the passing of House Bill 1068. Chris Carlisle testified twice in front of the Washington Senate to aid in the passage of HB 1068, which helps to square up the imbalance between injured workers and the state or self-insured employers in Compelled Medical Exams.
In the news
The fight is far from over. With the passage of HB 1068, we can now demand that injured workers be given the opportunity to record independent/compelled medical exams. There are now limits on the frequency and qualifying reasons for these exams, but with almost 30 years of L&I experience between us, we know there’s a fight around every corner.
In 2024, we’ll shine a spotlight on the practices of insurers that routinely and unjustly deny benefits for people the Industrial Insurance Act was meant to protect, as well as people who pay into—-and rely on—-insurers for general coverage. Soon, legislation will extend “bad faith” protections to injured workers, providing more options to hold insurers accountable for their disregard for the law.
Recently, the state has proposed a 4.9% increase to the premiums charged to businesses to cover their workers. This could be good news if the increased premiums are reflected through better care and access to the benefits guaranteed to workers by statute. With a watchful eye, the plaintiff’s bar in Washington, with involvement from other organizations, must remain vigilant to ensure that state agencies and insurance companies are playing by the rules. The fight is never-ending, but—as a published member of the Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ) and active litigants at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, Superior Court, and State Court of Appeals—it’s a call Carlisle + Byers is ready and eager to answer.
Get the inside scoop on 2024
We’re launching a podcast!
This is where we think we can do things differently (it’s kind of our shtick). At Carlisle + Byers, we try to get across that hiring a lawyer doesn’t have to be an intimidating prospect. We want to ensure that our position is clear – we are professional, gritty, and zealous but also approachable. We want to shed more light on the law and how it affects all of us.
To that end, we are ecstatic to announce our upcoming video podcast, where we will dive into topics including handling L&I claims, processing and rebounding after traumatic injuries, and our take on current events and the law in general. Stay tuned for more on this project (it’s a biggun).
Wishing you a healthy New Year!
Ah, the new year. It’s all about new beginnings, so fresh AND so clean. So, what are our resolutions?
We will continue to provide dedicated representation to those who need our help. This commitment has always been, and will remain, our absolute priority as a firm. You against the insurer will never be a fair match, and it’s our job and our purpose to even the playing field.
We will continue to advocate for our clients when their back is against the wall and find creative solutions by focusing on what’s possible rather than accepting half-measures. “That’s just how it’s always been done” is a mentality that state agencies and claims administrators adopt far too often. The problem is it’s a horrible justification for continuing bad practices – one we don’t take lying down.
With our upcoming podcast and community involvement, we will introduce new channels for information on the law (and hopefully a little entertainment). Carlisle + Byers is a Washington firm with deep northwest roots. While we continue to grow and explore new opportunities as a company, our pride and dedication remain with the people of our northwest community that we are fortunate enough to work with.
Wishing you health and rest as you head into the new year.
…fine, it’s a Christmas movie. Yippie Ki-Yay.
Know your rights. Contact Carlisle + Byers for workers’ compensation and personal injury inquiries
If you’re an injured worker or have been involved in a personal injury, contact us for a free consultation or call us at (509) 228-7011.
