Shafer v. Department of Labor & Industries

¶1 — The Department of Labor and Industries (Department) seeks reversal of a decision of the Court of Appeals in which that court held that a worker’s compensation claim is not final unless and until the worker’s attending physician receives a copy of the Department’s order closing the claim. We hold that because the Department’s failure to provide the worker’s attending physician a copy of the closure order prevented the physician from appealing the order, the worker’s claim is not final until 60 days after the attending physician receives a copy of the order. We, therefore, affirm the Court…