Governor Approves New Benefit Schedule

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill revising the schedule used to calculate total disability benefits for unmarried workers with children. Ferguson on Friday signed House Bill 1788, by Rep Adison Richards, D-Gig Harbor, which generally increases total disability benefits by 3% for unmarried workers with at least one child. Under current law, an injured worker who is unmarried and has no children is entitled to total disability benefits equal to 60% of wages. Available benefits increase by two percentage points for each additional child to a maximum of 70% for a married worker with fiv...