Raymond F. Mercier Jr., V. State Of Washington Dept. Of L & I

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedNovember 12, 2025
Docket59483-8
StatusUnpublished

This text of Raymond F. Mercier Jr., V. State Of Washington Dept. Of L & I (Raymond F. Mercier Jr., V. State Of Washington Dept. Of L & I) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Raymond F. Mercier Jr., V. State Of Washington Dept. Of L & I, (Wash. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two

November 12, 2025

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II RAYMOND F. MERCIER JR, No. 59483-8-II

Appellant,

v.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND UNPUBLISHED OPINION INDUSTRIES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON,

Respondent.

CRUSER, C.J.—Raymond Mercier appeals the superior court’s order affirming two

Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) orders concerning his workers compensation claim and

the superior court’s order denying his subsequent motion for reconsideration.1

The first L&I order that Mercier challenged was an order denying Mercier’s protest to an

order that closed his claim in October 2000 because the protest, which was filed more than 20

years after the closing order was issued, was not timely. Mercier urged the Board of Industrial

Insurance Appeals (BIIA) and superior court to reverse L&I’s order on the grounds that his protest

1 In Mercier’s notice of appeal, he only designates the order denying his motion for reconsideration. However, under RAP 2.4(b), we “will review a trial court order or ruling not designated in the notice, including an appealable order, if (1) the order or ruling prejudicially affects the decision designated in the notice, and (2) the order is entered, or the ruling is made, before the appellate court accepts review.” Furthermore, the appellate court will disregard defects in the form of the notice of appeal if the notice clearly reflects an intent by a party to seek review. RAP 5.3(f). Here, Mercier clearly intends to seek review of the order affirming L&I’s orders. No. 59483-8-II

was timely because he never received the closing order and therefore the time period to protest the

order had not yet begun. The superior court affirmed L&I’s order based on its finding that Mercier

had received the closing order. As to this order, Mercier argues on appeal to this court that the

superior court abused its discretion by (1) incorrectly concluding that the BIIA’s findings of fact

were presumptively correct, (2) finding that he received the closing order even though L&I had

not established a presumption of mailing by office custom under Farrow v. Department of Labor

& Industries,2 (3) considering L&I’s witnesses’ testimony because it was irrelevant, incomplete,

and untrue, and (4) relying, in part, on Mercier’s attorney’s conduct for its determination that

Mercier’s testimony that he did not receive the closing order was not credible.

The second L&I order that Mercier challenged affirmed L&I’s order correcting and

superseding a February 2001 wage order. On appeal to the BIIA, Mercier asked the BIIA to

determine whether L&I correctly calculated time-loss compensation benefits for the time period

from February 3 to February 16, 2001, and to determine whether L&I correctly calculated the

social security offset within the meaning of RCW 51.32.220. The industrial appeals judge for the

BIIA issued a proposed decision affirming L&I’s assessment of Mercier’s wage rate, finding that

Mercier failed to show that L&I’s calculation of his social security offset was incorrect. The BIIA

and superior court affirmed. Mercier argues on appeal to this court that neither the BIIA nor

superior court had subject matter jurisdiction to assess the substance of the 2020 wage order

because L&I had not yet responded to Mercier’s challenge to the February 2001 wage rate order.

We conclude, as to the first order, that the trial court did not abuse its discretion because

(1) the BIIA’s findings of fact are presumptively correct, (2) even though L&I did not establish a

2 179 Wash. 453, 38 P.2d 240 (1934).

2 No. 59483-8-II

presumption of mailing under Farrow, Mercier did not establish that he did not receive the closing

order by a preponderance of the evidence, (3) L&I’s witnesses’ testimony was relevant and we do

not reweigh credibility on appeal, and (4) Mercier has provided no argument or authority to support

his contention that the trial court violated the attorney-client privilege by relying, in part, on

Mercier’s attorney’s conduct for its determination that Mercier’s testimony that he did not receive

the closing order was not credible, and even if the trial court erred, such error was harmless. We

conclude that substantial evidence supported its finding that Mercier received the closing order.

As to the second order, we hold that the superior court and the BIIA had subject matter jurisdiction

over the wage rate order. Accordingly, we affirm.

FACTS

I. BACKGROUND

In August 2000, Raymond Mercier injured his back and ankle while working as a bakery

manager. Mercier slipped and a rolling rack full of baking trays fell on him. Mercier filed an

incident report with L&I and began receiving worker’s compensation benefits. In October 2000,

L&I sent Mercier a notice closing his claim and setting the wage rate for the period the claim was

open. The notice was mailed to Mercier’s address, with the ZIP code “98375.” Clerk’s Papers (CP)

293. The correct ZIP code for Mercier’s address is “98335.” Id. at 252. Mercier did not protest or

appeal the October 20, 2000 closing order within the required 60 days. Instead, Mercier timely

filed to reopen his claim on January 12, 2001, after a medical provider informed him that his

treatment would not be covered unless his claim was reopened. L&I reopened Mercier’s claim,

and he continued to receive benefits.

3 No. 59483-8-II

On February 20, 2001, L&I issued an order setting Mercier’s wage rate for the period of

February 3 to February 16, 2001. In March 2001, Mercier engaged counsel who protested all L&I

orders issued within the previous 60 days, including the February 20, 2001 wage rate order. L&I

did not respond to this protest. Nineteen years later, when Mercier became eligible to receive

Social Security benefits in September 2020, Mercier protested the February 20, 2001 wage rate

order again, arguing that the wage rate was incorrect because L&I never addressed his overtime

compensation. In response, on September 15, 2020, L&I issued an order correcting and

superseding the February 2001 wage rate order. Mercier protested the September 15, 2020 order

and L&I affirmed on November 25, 2020. Mercier appealed the order affirming the September

15th order to the BIIA.

In January 2021, Mercier protested the October 2000 closing order for the first time. L&I

declined to consider Mercier’s protest because it was not made within 60 days of the October 2000

order. Mercier appealed this decision to the BIIA on the grounds that his protest was timely

because he never received the closing order and therefore the 60-day time limit had not started.

II. APPEAL TO BIIA

The BIIA held a hearing to consider Mercier’s challenges to L&I’s November 25, 2020

order relating to the February 20, 2001 wage rate order and the September 3, 2021 order declining

to reconsider the closing order. Before the BIIA, Mercier testified that L&I sent the closing order

to the wrong ZIP code. He further testified that he never received the closing order and first learned

that his claim was closed from his primary care physician. Mercier testified that on the report of

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