WAC 388-02-0020. What does good cause mean?

(1) Good cause is a substantial reason or legal justification for failing to appear, to act, or respond to an action. To show good cause, the ALJ must find that a party had a good reason for what they did or did not do, using the provisions of Superior Court Civil Rule 60 as a guideline. (2) Good cause may include, but is not limited to, the following examples. (a) You ignored a notice because you were in the hospital or were otherwise prevented from responding; or (b) You could not respond to the notice because it was written in a language that you did not understand. (3) For purposes of public assistance cases, good cause has the same meaning as described in RCW 74.08.080 . Good cause for not requesting a hearing before the deadline may include, but is not limited to: Military deployment, medical reasons, housing instability, language barriers, or domestic violence.