Delay in Addressing Worker's Request to Reopen Doesn't Require That Application Be Granted

The Washington Court of Appeals ruled that an injured worker’s application for reopening his claim could not be reopened just because of the length of time it took for the Department of Labor and Industries to issue its denial. Case: Langhorst v. Department of Labor and Industries, No. 56095-0-II, 12/20/2022, published. Facts and procedural history: The Department of Labor and Industries allowed Mark Langhorst’s claim for an industrial injury in 2012. Langhorst's claim was subsequently closed in November 2014. In April 2019, Langhorst applied to reopen his claim. The departm...