KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — Washington State Labor & Industries is refusing to pay a Kitsap County woman’s medical bills after she suffered injuries from a hit-and-run crash while she was on the job.
Shelley Withee suffered a concussion and neck injury after a vehicle rear-ended her car near the intersection of 4th Avenue South and South Jackson Street in Seattle in 2023.
The driver sped off and left Withee and two other passengers in shock, she shared.
“I didn’t feel anything right away. We actually got back to the office and I started feeling a little queasy, a little uneasy, a little bit of pain. My coworker said, ‘Better be safe than sorry. Go get it checked out,’” she said.
Withee got checked out at Overlake Urgent Care and was later sent to the hospital’s emergency room following the crash, a report wrote.
“When I went to the doctor, I had a concussion, and they were asking me all of these questions, ‘Who I should bill, and what insurance and how workers compensation was going to work.’ And at the end of the night, I’m thinking I had a concussion. How was I supposed to answer any of these questions accurately and honestly?”
Medical records indicated that Withee suffered a concussion and a neck strain.
However, when she tried to get her medical expenses covered by Washington State Labor & Industries, she was denied, a report indicated.
KIRO 7 News asked Withee about her conversation with L&I.
“The conversation was really matter-of-fact. They said because it was neck pain, it wasn’t covered. If it had been something like a neck strain, then it would’ve been covered,” she explained.
After the rejection, Withee said she followed up with her doctor and the hospital multiple times, but never got a response.
“Everybody says you’re supposed to take personal responsibility and do all of the right things, and I filed a police report. I filled an accident report. I filled out my employer’s paperwork. I filled the insurance’s paperwork. I’m still on the phone constantly, hours and hours, talking with insurance trying to figure it out. Who’s spending the hours and hours to call me back and respond to my emails to help me figure it out.”
Withee told KIRO 7 News that she takes part of the blame. She said that she did not file an appeal since she had been working to get answers from L&I and the hospital. However, she believes L&I could’ve done more to help one of its state workers.
Withee added, “I put the blame on the State. I feel like I’m doing an honest day’s work and the bare minimum they can do is to take care of me or advocate for me if there’s a hiccup with the insurance.”
We spoke with Scott Blankenship, managing partner for The Blankenship Law Firm, to get his perspective on the situation.
“She had a concussion and a neck injury as a result of a car accident while she was on the job. She should have had a valid L&I claim,” he shared.
Blankenship said doctors are mainly focused on treating injuries, and not evaluating the cause of the injury. Insurance companies typically would cover an injury if there’s proof to indicate an injury was caused by a crash, he added.
“Are there errors in medical records? Is there a lack of context in medical records? That happens frequently,” he said.
KIRO 7 News reached out to Overlake Hospital to get its response. A spokesperson shared the following statement:
“HIPAA laws are incredibly strict when it comes to patient privacy.
Overlake Medical Center & Clinics is unable to comment on specific details of care due to patient privacy laws. However, Overlake’s billing department works closely with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) regarding accident-related claims, and we make every effort to ensure all claims are coded appropriately and accurately.”
We also reached out to Labor & Industries to get its response.
A spokesperson shared the following statement:
“While we can’t talk about specific cases, our goal every day is to handle claims fairly and in accordance with our laws, rules, and policies. We take every case on its merits and make decisions based on all information available to us. If someone disagrees with a decision in their case there is a fair and transparent protest and appeals process that everyone has access to.”
A GoFundMe was created to help Withee. A spokesperson said the fundraiser has been verified.
©2025 Cox Media Group