Insurance Investigators are Sneaky Sneaky Sneaky!
Posted by Michele Lewane | Workers' Compensation Benefits
Insurance Investigators are Sneaky Sneaky Sneaky and will go to great lengths to gather information and avoid paying benefits. If you think you are being followed by insurance investigators, you probably are! I wanted to share a recent email with you that I received from one of my clients (identifying information has been changed of course to protect the privacy …
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Am I Limited to 500 Weeks of Workers Compensation Benefits in Virginia?
Posted by Michele Lewane | Types of Injuries and Illnesses, Workers' Compensation Benefits
You may not be limited to 500 weeks of benefits in a workers compensation claim in Virginia if you qualify for permanent total disability benefits. Watch This Video on YouTube.com Video Transcript You may not be limited to 500 weeks of benefits in a workers’ compensation claim in Virginia! People often ask me, “If I …
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Marijuana Can Affect Your Workers’ Compensation Claim
Posted by Michele Lewane | First Steps, Workers' Compensation Benefits
Marijuana can affect your workers compensation claim. Many Virginia employers require drug testing for their employees, especially after an injury on the job. Marijuana is one of those drugs that stays in the body for a prolonged period of time and can show up on a urinalysis long after use, even if the injured worker …
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6 Ways Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits Can Be Stopped
Posted by Michele Lewane | Workers' Compensation Benefits
6 Ways Your Workers Compensation Benefits Can Be Stopped – Even If You Have an Award Some folks assume that once they receive that magical Award from the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission, they are completely safe and have nothing to worry about. Not true! Yes, the Award is to protect benefits; however, if the insurance …
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Workers Compensation Is Not A Lawsuit
Posted by Michele Lewane | First Steps, Workers' Compensation Benefits
Folks often have the misconception that if they file a workers compensation claim after they’ve had a work injury that they are somehow suing their employer. This is not the case. Workers compensation is not a lawsuit. It is similar to life insurance, health insurance, auto insurance, etc. I like to use the example of …
The Virginia Workers Compensation Commission is Going Paperless as of 6/26/15
Posted by Injured Workers Law Firm | Workers' Compensation Benefits
The Virginia Workers Compensation Commission (VWC) is switching to an all paperless system as of 6/26/15. For those of you who use the WebFile feature on their website, this should be a very smooth transition for you. If you are not familiar with WebFile, it’s a portal on the Commission’s website (https://vwc.state.va.us/) that lets you …
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The Virginia Life Expectancy Table
Posted by Injured Workers Law Firm | Settlement, Workers' Compensation Benefits
The Virginia Workers Compensation Commission uses the Life Expectancy Table for the estimation of future medical benefits. If you are familiar with my blog, you know that settlement values are based, in part, on the value of future medical needs. Virginia Code Section 8.01-419 is where you will find the tables for life expectancy. Right now, men …
Need Help Getting Your Prescription Filled?
Posted by Injured Workers Law Firm | Claim Accepted - Now What?, Claim Denied - Now What?, Workers' Compensation Benefits
Are you in need of help getting your prescription filled in a timely manner? Our office uses Summit Pharmacy to fill prescriptions for my clients in cases where the insurance company is refusing to pay for necessary medication or if the insurance adjuster is just dragging their feet on the approval. Summit Pharmacy promises to …
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Beware of Phony Time Limits
Posted by Injured Workers Law Firm | Settlement, Workers' Compensation Benefits
“Help, my adjuster called and offered me a settlement and she said I have to respond to her by tomorrow or she’ll close my case!” I get calls like this from injured workers all the time. The injured worker is panicked because they don’t know if it is a fair settlement offer (most of the …
What are the Virginia Workers Compensation Wage Limits?
Posted by Injured Workers Law Firm | Workers' Compensation Benefits
Virginia workers compensation has limits or caps on lost wages. The workers compensation insurance company pays Temporary Total Disability or TTD benefits to injured workers when the doctor has placed them out of work. However, the benefit rate is capped. Benefits are paid to injured workers at a compensation rate that is 2/3rds of their …
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