What the insurance company does not want you to know about this: yes, it can be worth it, because in Washington this may be a two-claim case, not just workers' comp.

The question you should ask next is: Do I have an L&I claim, a third-party lawsuit, or both?

If you were hurt while working in Tacoma or anywhere in Washington, workers' compensation through the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is usually your first lane. That is true even if the crash happened on a rural road during harvest season with grain trucks, tractors, or farm equipment moving between fields. L&I pays medical treatment and wage-loss benefits without needing to prove fault.

But Washington's exclusive remedy rule usually only protects your employer from being sued. It does not automatically protect a third party like a grain-truck driver, trucking company, subcontractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer.

That matters because L&I does not pay for pain and suffering. A third-party injury lawsuit can.

Key Washington deadlines:

• L&I claim: generally 1 year from the injury date.
• Third-party personal injury lawsuit: generally 3 years from the injury date.

If your employer is a self-insured employer instead of state-fund L&I, the same basic rule still applies: workers' comp benefits may be your remedy against the employer, but you may still sue a negligent outsider.

For someone in Tacoma living on Social Security or relying on Medicare, this can be the difference between bare-bones bill coverage and money for the real damage. Medicare may pay conditionally, but it often expects reimbursement if you recover from a third party.

If the injury happened on clogged I-5 near Tacoma, at a loading site, or on a farm route with commercial trucks, the practical issue is whether someone other than your employer caused part of it. If yes, the claim may be much more valuable than L&I alone.