Injured at Work in Moscow or Latah County? We Can Help.
If you were hurt on the job in Moscow or anywhere in Latah County, Goicoechea Law can help. Michael Kessinger has represented Moscow-area workers before the Idaho Industrial Commission — including University of Idaho employees and workers at local businesses — winning medical benefits and disability compensation that insurance companies fought to deny.
Call 208.743.2313 for a free, confidential case review. No fee unless we win.
We Have Represented Moscow Workers Before the Idaho Industrial Commission
Anderson v. Gamma Phi Beta Sorority — Idaho Industrial Commission (2016)
In Anderson v. Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, we represented a Moscow woman who worked as the house director for the Gamma Phi Beta sorority house at the University of Idaho. On April 27, 2014, she spent hours hand-making 60 pizzas for the 75 residents of the house, lifting heavy gallon cans and pizza pans repeatedly throughout the day. By the end of her shift she could not lift her arm. She had suffered cervical disc herniations at C5-6 and C6-7 requiring surgery.
The insurance company denied her claim entirely. They argued there was no compensable “accident” because she had not suffered a dramatic slip or fall: “just the strain of ordinary kitchen work.” We argued that under Idaho law, a compensable accident does not require a single dramatic event. Repetitive strain from ordinary work duties qualifies if injury results.
The Idaho Industrial Commission agreed and awarded full medical benefits, including cervical surgery.
This case emphasizes an important principle for Idaho workers: you do not have to be struck by a falling object or fall off a ladder to have a compensable workers’ compensation claim. Hard, repetitive work that injures your body is enough.
Read the Industrial Commission decision →
Who We Represent in Moscow and Latah County
Moscow’s workforce is diverse — University of Idaho faculty and staff, healthcare workers, food service and hospitality employees, tradespeople, agricultural workers, and retail employees. Work injuries happen in all of these settings, and the insurance company’s response is often the same regardless of where the injury occurred: minimize, delay, or deny.
We represent injured workers in Moscow, Troy, Genesee, Potlatch, Deary, and throughout Latah County in all phases of a workers’ compensation claim:
- Denied claims — When the insurance company disputes that your injury is compensable
- Medical benefit disputes — When treatment is denied or cut off before you have recovered
- Repetitive strain and occupational disease claims — When your injury developed gradually over time rather than in a single accident
- Temporary total disability (TTD) — When you cannot work and need wage replacement benefits
- Permanent impairment and disability ratings — When your injury has lasting effects on your ability to earn a living
- Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs) — When the insurance company’s doctor reaches a different conclusion than your treating physician
- Idaho Industrial Commission hearings — Full representation through contested proceedings
- Idaho Supreme Court appeals — When the Commission gets it wrong
What Latah County Workers Need to Know
Repetitive injuries are compensable. Many workers — especially those in food service, healthcare, manufacturing, logging, and agriculture — develop injuries gradually over time. Idaho law covers these injuries. You do not need a single dramatic accident to have a valid workers’ compensation claim.
University of Idaho employees are covered. State employees, including University of Idaho faculty and staff, are covered by Idaho workers’ compensation.
There are deadlines. In Idaho, if no benefits have been paid, you generally have one year from the date of injury to initiate legal proceedings. For occupational disease claims, the deadline runs from the date of manifestation — when you knew or should have known the condition was work-related. Do not wait.
A denied claim is not the end. Insurance companies routinely deny repetitive injury and occupational disease claims. A denial is a starting point, not a final answer. We handle disputed and denied claims before the Idaho Industrial Commission.
Why Goicoechea Law
We are close to Moscow. Goicoechea Law is based in Lewiston — 30 miles from Moscow. We know Latah County, we know the employers and industries in the area, and we are available to meet with you without a long drive.
Focused practice. We limit our practice to workers’ compensation and personal injury. You get an attorney who handles these cases every day — not a generalist who fits your case in between real estate closings and estate plans.
Proven results. We have won medical benefits, disability benefits, and appeals for injured workers throughout North Idaho and the Palouse. Our case results are published — you can read them before you call.
No fee unless we win. You pay nothing upfront. We are only paid if we recover benefits for you.
Free Case Review — Call Today
If you have been injured at work in Moscow or anywhere in Latah County, contact Goicoechea Law today for a free, confidential case review.
Call 208.743.2313 or fill out our online contact form. There is no obligation and no attorney fee unless we win your case.
Michael Kessinger is licensed to practice law in Idaho and Washington and has represented injured workers throughout North Idaho for more than 20 years.