Carrera Ex Rel. Department of Labor & Industries v. Olmstead

¶1 The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) appeals the superior court’s order granting partial summary judgment in a third party action brought under the Industrial Insurance Act (IIA), Title 51 RCW, against farming conglomerate Sunheaven Farms and certain persons associated with its operations. The action arose from injuries to Basilio Carrera, an employee of Sunheaven’s member company Brent Hartley Farms LLC. The superior court ruled that L&I could not seek damages in an assigned third party action beyond the amount L&I had paid to Carrera for workers’ compensation benefits because the…