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Our dear friend Lauren was injured on the job. She needs help from our community because her on-island employer has taken steps to try and block her L&I (Worker’s Compensation) benefits.
Can you imagine being trapped in this situation:
You’ve been injured on the job and need to recover...you need medical treatment so you can recover and get back to work...but you can’t get the medical treatment you need...so you can’t recover…so you can’t get back to work…AND you’re in constant pain because of your workplace injury...
It’s happening right now, here in our Vashon community, to our friend Lauren. Here are the details:
We know Lauren from our church, the Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship (VIUF), where she generously shares her time and gifts as an active volunteer and committee member, a Sunday Service Leader, and serves on the Board of Directors.
Lauren is a long-time island resident (27 years), with years of experience in business communications, copywriting, marketing, and consulting. For the past few years she’s worked as the Online Marketing Coordinator to help grow and promote a local on-island business here on Vashon.
Unfortunately Lauren was injured on the job - a workplace injury.
Because the injury happened at work, Lauren’s doctor was required to file an L&I claim. Lauren told her doctor that she was afraid to file the L&I claim because she was afraid of retaliation. She was afraid of losing her job. But her doctor reassured her that it’s illegal for employers to discriminate against workers for filing workers compensation claims.
So the doctor followed the law, and filed the claim.
After a very thorough and lengthy review by the in-house L&I medical review team, Lauren’s claim was approved and allowed by L&I. Based on the medical evidence, L&I accurately concluded that Lauren’s injury was a result of what happened in the current workplace.
At first, Lauren started getting the diagnostic tests and medical care she needed to start treating her workplace injury. The system seemed to be working.
Just like the L&I website says… "If you're injured at work, and the claim is accepted, (which it was)....L&I pays the medical bills and replaces lost wages when time off work is required for recovery.”
But sadly, that’s NOT what happened next...
When Lauren’s doctor ordered her to take time off work to get surgery and recover, her employer filed a protest of the L&I claim.
They filed a protest against all of the careful work that L&I had already done to allow Lauren’s claim. We’ll also point out that the employer filed this protest over two months after L&I had already approved her claim.
And what’s more, the employer’s protest resulted in all of Lauren’s benefits being put on hold.
Because of the employer protest, all of Lauren’s much-needed L&I protection, medical treatments, and lost wage benefits have been put on hold while L&I is forced to go through another lengthy review process - some of which they’ve already done once before.
What’s worse is that her APPROVED L&I claim has now been on hold for MANY MONTHS!
Lauren hasn’t been able to get the surgery she needs….
Or the physical therapy she needs...
Or see the orthopedic specialists she needs…
Or get help from the rehab doctor she needs…
Or get paid the wage replacement benefits that we all have the right to get, if our doctor says we can’t go back to work until we’re better.
There’s also been what doctors call “a delay in care.” This is a big medical concern.
Because of delays in getting treatment, Lauren’s condition has developed other complications that are going to require even MORE medical care and MORE recovery time.
The delay in care has also prolonged Lauren's physical pain and suffering. She's been in constant pain as a result of the workplace injury.
What would you do if a friend or family member were in this situation?
In fact, one of Lauren’s L&I case workers actually apologized to her. She told Lauren that, “This is not normal and shouldn’t be happening,” and that, “This is not what the L&I system was designed to do.”
That’s why we’ve created this fundraiser. We’re here to ask for your help - a gift of help, healing, and recovery.
Before her complications get any worse, Lauren needs to move forward with overdue medical treatment, surgery, physical therapy, and recovery. She must use her own medical insurance to treat her workplace injury.
Her doctor now estimates it could take well into AUTUMN. And that’s only IF Lauren pays for it using her own insurance, and IF there are NO further delays in getting the care she needs.
(Those are big “IFs.”)
Throughout this mess Lauren has been living from her savings. It’s a good thing Lauren’s in the habit of saving money, but her savings account isn’t infinite.
Your gifts will be used to cover basic living essentials while she recovers, plus out-of-pocket medical expenses and transportation to get to medical appointments.
We invite you to join us in helping Lauren, so she can start getting better. Knowing that her basic needs are covered will allow her to FOCUS ON HEALING.
The good news is that Lauren now has a lawyer to help get her L&I rights and benefits restored. But it will take some time. (The lawyer thinks several more months.)
Let’s give Lauren the support and staying power to get through this painful and unfair situation so she can get her benefits - and her health - restored.
Thank you so much for your care and concern,
~Tami Brockway Joyce
~Rik Muroya, M.Ed, LMHC, VIUF Pastoral Care Team Member
P.S. Lauren wants to give back to our community by making sure we help raise awareness and educate others about their rights as employees. Read the updates to learn more about your L&I rights at work.
P.P.S. We applaud Lauren’s courage to let us tell her story. There’s even more that happened. You might even find it hard to believe. See the updates for more detail.
Please join us in helping Lauren regain her rights - and her health - so she can get back to sharing her talents and gifts with our Island community.
AND...if you would...PLEASE HELP BY SHARING this fundraiser.

Can you imagine being trapped in this situation:
You’ve been injured on the job and need to recover...you need medical treatment so you can recover and get back to work...but you can’t get the medical treatment you need...so you can’t recover…so you can’t get back to work…AND you’re in constant pain because of your workplace injury...
It’s happening right now, here in our Vashon community, to our friend Lauren. Here are the details:
We know Lauren from our church, the Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship (VIUF), where she generously shares her time and gifts as an active volunteer and committee member, a Sunday Service Leader, and serves on the Board of Directors.
Lauren is a long-time island resident (27 years), with years of experience in business communications, copywriting, marketing, and consulting. For the past few years she’s worked as the Online Marketing Coordinator to help grow and promote a local on-island business here on Vashon.
Unfortunately Lauren was injured on the job - a workplace injury.
Because the injury happened at work, Lauren’s doctor was required to file an L&I claim. Lauren told her doctor that she was afraid to file the L&I claim because she was afraid of retaliation. She was afraid of losing her job. But her doctor reassured her that it’s illegal for employers to discriminate against workers for filing workers compensation claims.
So the doctor followed the law, and filed the claim.
After a very thorough and lengthy review by the in-house L&I medical review team, Lauren’s claim was approved and allowed by L&I. Based on the medical evidence, L&I accurately concluded that Lauren’s injury was a result of what happened in the current workplace.
At first, Lauren started getting the diagnostic tests and medical care she needed to start treating her workplace injury. The system seemed to be working.
Just like the L&I website says… "If you're injured at work, and the claim is accepted, (which it was)....L&I pays the medical bills and replaces lost wages when time off work is required for recovery.”
But sadly, that’s NOT what happened next...
When Lauren’s doctor ordered her to take time off work to get surgery and recover, her employer filed a protest of the L&I claim.
They filed a protest against all of the careful work that L&I had already done to allow Lauren’s claim. We’ll also point out that the employer filed this protest over two months after L&I had already approved her claim.
And what’s more, the employer’s protest resulted in all of Lauren’s benefits being put on hold.
Because of the employer protest, all of Lauren’s much-needed L&I protection, medical treatments, and lost wage benefits have been put on hold while L&I is forced to go through another lengthy review process - some of which they’ve already done once before.
What’s worse is that her APPROVED L&I claim has now been on hold for MANY MONTHS!
Lauren hasn’t been able to get the surgery she needs….
Or the physical therapy she needs...
Or see the orthopedic specialists she needs…
Or get help from the rehab doctor she needs…
Or get paid the wage replacement benefits that we all have the right to get, if our doctor says we can’t go back to work until we’re better.
There’s also been what doctors call “a delay in care.” This is a big medical concern.
Because of delays in getting treatment, Lauren’s condition has developed other complications that are going to require even MORE medical care and MORE recovery time.
The delay in care has also prolonged Lauren's physical pain and suffering. She's been in constant pain as a result of the workplace injury.
What would you do if a friend or family member were in this situation?
In fact, one of Lauren’s L&I case workers actually apologized to her. She told Lauren that, “This is not normal and shouldn’t be happening,” and that, “This is not what the L&I system was designed to do.”
That’s why we’ve created this fundraiser. We’re here to ask for your help - a gift of help, healing, and recovery.
Before her complications get any worse, Lauren needs to move forward with overdue medical treatment, surgery, physical therapy, and recovery. She must use her own medical insurance to treat her workplace injury.
Her doctor now estimates it could take well into AUTUMN. And that’s only IF Lauren pays for it using her own insurance, and IF there are NO further delays in getting the care she needs.
(Those are big “IFs.”)
Throughout this mess Lauren has been living from her savings. It’s a good thing Lauren’s in the habit of saving money, but her savings account isn’t infinite.
Your gifts will be used to cover basic living essentials while she recovers, plus out-of-pocket medical expenses and transportation to get to medical appointments.
We invite you to join us in helping Lauren, so she can start getting better. Knowing that her basic needs are covered will allow her to FOCUS ON HEALING.
The good news is that Lauren now has a lawyer to help get her L&I rights and benefits restored. But it will take some time. (The lawyer thinks several more months.)
Let’s give Lauren the support and staying power to get through this painful and unfair situation so she can get her benefits - and her health - restored.
Thank you so much for your care and concern,
~Tami Brockway Joyce
~Rik Muroya, M.Ed, LMHC, VIUF Pastoral Care Team Member
P.S. Lauren wants to give back to our community by making sure we help raise awareness and educate others about their rights as employees. Read the updates to learn more about your L&I rights at work.
P.P.S. We applaud Lauren’s courage to let us tell her story. There’s even more that happened. You might even find it hard to believe. See the updates for more detail.
Please join us in helping Lauren regain her rights - and her health - so she can get back to sharing her talents and gifts with our Island community.
AND...if you would...PLEASE HELP BY SHARING this fundraiser.
