Sebastian v. Department of Labor & Industries

— Robert Sebastian sought compensation under the crime victims’ compensation act, RCW 7.68, after he was injured in an assault. His total loss exceeded the statutory cap on “benefits payable” under the Act. The Department of Labor and Industries (the Department) awarded him the statutory cap minus the amount of the Social Security benefits he received. Sebastian claims that the amount of Social Security benefits should have been deducted from his total loss, and the statutory cap should have been applied to the remainder.

Both parties’ interpretations of the statute are plausible, so the…