Workers’ Compensation

What Are Your Options if Your Employer Disputes Your Workers’ Comp Claim?

Almost all employers in Virginia are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance helps workers cover their medical bills and lost wages if they get hurt on the job. But as with all types of insurance, the cost goes up when it’s used frequently. Because of that, many employers are reluctant to report injuries to the workers’ compensation board.

In some cases, they may even go as far as denying that their workers suffered injuries, or they may claim that their injuries happened elsewhere or were pre-existing. Unfortunately, many employers count on their injured workers simply giving up or being too afraid of retaliation or termination to pursue benefits. If this happens to you, here are your options:

• Talk to your company’s HR department—If your employer has a human resources department, tell them what’s happening. If your injury was documented, the report can serve as valuable proof of what happened and can help your claim move forward.
• File a claim on your own—Although your employer should provide you with the required forms to submit a workers’ compensation claim, you don’t have to rely on them for this. If they’re uncooperative, you can submit a claim on your own online or through the mail.
• Get a lawyer—Pursuing compensation on your own can be difficult, especially when your employer is uncooperative or even denies your injury occurred. Our Virginia workers’ compensation lawyers can help you through the entire process.

Don’t risk losing out on the money you’re owed after your workplace injury. Contact us today for a free consultation.

You Can Get Workers’ Comp Even if You’re at Fault

When it comes to getting compensation after an accident or injury, most people are conditioned to believe that they can only do so when it wasn’t their fault. After all, that’s true for most types of personal injury cases. And in many people’s minds, victims who cause their own injuries shouldn’t be eligible for compensation anyway!

However, workers’ compensation is different. It’s a no-fault form of compensation that’s paid to workers even if they are at fault for their own accidents and injuries. Employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance to protect themselves and their employees in the event of on-the-job injuries, but many injured workers believe they’re ineligible if they were fully or partially responsible for their own accidents.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Virginia workers’ compensation attorneys have helped many injured employees get full benefits for a variety of injuries. Don’t write off your opportunity for getting money to pay for your living expenses and medical bills after a workplace injury, even if you believe you contributed to it.

And remember—your employer has little say in the matter. Ultimately, it’s up to the workers’ compensation commission, and that’s where we come in. We know what they look for when reviewing and approving claims, and we know how to improve our clients’ odds of success and how to get them their money faster.

Contact us today for a free consultation. Regardless of how you were hurt, you aren’t getting the paychecks you need, and you need a legal advocate on your side to make things better. Let us help you get your life back on track.

How We Can Help You After an On-the-Job Injury

While some occupations put workers at greater risk of on-the-job injuries than others, all workers can be hurt while performing their job duties. From construction workers falling off scaffolding to office workers developing repetitive stress injuries, many types of jobs can cause painful, debilitating, and even disabling injuries. When that happens, they should be free to pursue workers’ compensation benefits—but getting approved for them isn’t easy.

When you file a workers’ compensation claim, you need two things to go your way. First, you need your employer to cooperate. Some workplaces try to hide or downplay injuries, and that can make difficult to move forward with a claim. Second, you need the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWCC) to take your claim seriously. This governmental body acts as the gatekeeper for compensation claims, but its strict criteria means many valid claims fall through the cracks.

When you get the Virginia workers’ compensation attorneys at Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers on your side, you get a legal team that knows how to deal with both potential roadblocks. We’ll collect evidence that leaves no doubt about what caused your injury, and we’ll build your application or appeal in a manner that leaves little uncertainty or wiggle room for the VWCC.

Best of all, we know how to expedite the process, so that you’ll spend less time waiting for your checks to arrive and more time focusing on getting better and spending time with your loved ones. Contact us today for a free consultation. We have more than three decades of experience that you can use to your advantage.

3 Steps to Take if You Get Hurt on the Job

Getting hurt on the job isn’t just painful—it can also be devastating for your family’s finances. On-the-job injuries can require expensive medical treatments and ongoing rehabilitation, the costs of which may be too much for you to afford. In addition, your injuries can make it impossible for you to go back to work. That means no paychecks and even no health insurance if you get laid off.

Because of the potential negative consequences of workplace injuries on employees, almost all employers in Virginia are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance is designed to pay injured workers a percentage of their wages while they recover from their injuries. However, getting approved for benefits isn’t a guarantee, and the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission is notoriously strict when approving or denying applications.

You can improve your odds by taking the following steps:

1. Tell your manager or supervisor about your injury right away—Report your injury to a supervising employee as soon as possible. The less time that passes between your injury occurring and you reporting it, the less chance the review board will believe your injury was caused by something else.
2. Get medical treatment—After alerting your workplace of your injury, get medical treatment for it. Getting medical treatment not only helps kickstart the healing process, but it also creates an official record of your workplace injury.
3. Tell the truth about your injury—Never lie, downplay, or exaggerate the severity of your injury. Always be fully upfront and honest about it, whether you’re talking to your employer, your doctor, or even your lawyer.

After taking these steps, it’s important to contact an experienced Virginia workers’ compensation attorney. At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know what it takes to help injured workers like you win their claims. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Workers’ Compensation Claims Need Experienced Legal Representation

If you were injured on the job and need to file a workers’ compensation claim, it’s important to keep in mind that the odds may be stacked against you. In an effort to reduce the number of fraudulent claims, the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission—like oversight boards in many other states—rigorously reviews all applications. It’s common for first-time applicants to be denied, even when they have plenty of evidence that proves their injuries occurred on the job.

Getting denied for the benefits you need and are owed can be devastating. At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk workers’ compensation lawyers want to help you avoid that—or, if you’ve already been denied, we want to help you appeal the board’s decision. We believe that injured workers should never have to pay out of pocket for accident-related expenses that weren’t their fault, but that’s an unfortunate reality for countless Virginians throughout the state.

When you contact us, whether you’re applying for benefits for the first time or appealing a decision, you’ll get a dedicated, thorough law firm that stops at nothing to maximize our clients’ chances of success. When we build applications or appeals for our clients, we leave no stone unturned throughout the process, and we never let small details slip through the cracks. From ensuring your paperwork is accurate and complete, to ensuring it’s submitted on time and with the evidence necessary to help you get paid, you’ll get the peace of mind you deserve with our team on your side.

Contact us today for a free consultation. We’re ready to get started.

Don’t Be Denied the Workers’ Compensation Benefits You Deserve

Due to the devastating effects that on-the-job injuries can have on workers and their families, almost all employers in Virginia are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. The coverage is designed to compensate employees who get hurt or become ill while on the job and can no longer work for long periods of time, making them unable to earn paychecks.

Despite employers carrying this insurance, they’re often reluctant to pay victims the money they’re owed after injury or illness-causing incidents at work. In addition, the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWCC) has strict criteria for approving claims, and many first-time applicants are denied—even when they have valid claims and plenty of evidence.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk workers’ compensation lawyers know that the process often seems unfair and arbitrary. The VWCC will deny claims for minor reasons, including missing paperwork, late submissions, incomplete forms, and more. Because the process requires so much paperwork and back and forth with the VWCC, it’s easy for first-time applicants to miss a step or overlook something that could cost them their benefits.

When you call our legal team, we’ll work hard to ensure that your claim is built for success. We’ve assisted many other injured workers with their workers’ compensation claims, and we know what it takes to win. Don’t risk your income and your family’s wellbeing by going it alone. Get our experienced law firm on your side, and let us fight for your rights to the money you deserve. Contact us today.

We Want to Help You Get Compensation After Your Workplace Injury

Your job is your livelihood. You take pride in what you do, but will your employer protect you if you get hurt on shift? Unfortunately, many employers will do just about anything to avoid dealing with workers’ compensation claims after their workers get hurt on the job, and that includes denying that their injuries ever happened.

Even if your employer cooperates with you after you suffer an injury, you need to face yet another hurdle: the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. It reviews all workers’ compensation claims, and it has strict criteria for approving them. Countless injured workers see their applications get reduced or denied due to minor oversights or for seemingly no reason at all.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know how important workers’ compensation benefits are. Like all states, Virginia requires almost all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, as it’s the only income injured and sick workers receive when they suffer health problems from their job that leave them unable to work. But having insurance doesn’t mean much if the affected workers themselves don’t have access to those benefits.

It’s important to get an experienced Virginia workers’ compensation lawyer on your side immediately after your workplace injury. The sooner you contact us, the better, as we’ll have access to more evidence and have more time to build your claim and complete your application.  Trust our experience and track record of success—we’ve helped many people just like you get the benefits they deserve. Call today for a free consultation.

Don’t Miss Out on the Workers’ Compensation Benefits You Deserve

Virginia requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance in the event that their employees get hurt on the job and can’t work. The insurance is designed to provide replacement income to injured workers until they’ve recovered enough to be back on the job, but getting approved for benefits is a difficult, complex, and often confusing process.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk workers’ compensation attorneys know that the system isn’t always fair to the people who need it the most. If you were recently injured at work, you know you need compensation for your lost wages—especially if you’ve also racked up big medical bills. But navigating the workers’ compensation system on your own isn’t easy.

In fact, a significant percentage of first-time claims are denied. That’s because the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission has strict standards when it reviews claims. Even small errors, like late submissions or missing information, can be enough for it to deny otherwise valid claims. Having an experienced law firm on your side means you don’t have to worry about losing out on the money you deserve because of minor oversights.

Between trying to get back to work as soon as possible and trying to balance your family’s finances without the paychecks you depend on, you’ve got enough on your plate already. Let us put our experience to work for you, while you focus on what’s important for you and your loved ones. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Don’t Make These Common Workers’ Compensation Mistakes

If you were hurt at work, you may be facing an uphill battle to get approved for workers’ compensation benefits. That’s because employers are often reluctant to admit that their workers got hurt on the job, and the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission is also notoriously tough on claims.

The most crucial times for your claim are the moments and days immediately after your on-the-job injury. What you do during that window can have a significant impact on your ability to get the compensation you and your loved ones deserve. Avoiding the following mistakes can improve your chances of getting benefits:

• Waiting too long to report your injury—Telling your manager or supervisor about your injury as soon as it happens helps establish when and where your injury occurred. The sooner you tell someone what happened, the easier it will be to prove that your injury happened as you describe it.
• Exaggerating or downplaying your injury—Be truthful about what happened and the severity of your injuries. If you make your injuries sound worse or less severe than they actually are, you can jeopardize your chances of getting compensation.
• Waiting too long to call a lawyer—Convincing both your employer and the workers’ compensation commission that you got hurt at work isn’t easy. The longer you wait to get a lawyer, the more difficult it will be to collect and present evidence that strengthens your claim.

Call the Virginia workers’ compensation attorneys at Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation and to get the legal representation you deserve.

Injured at Work? Contact a Lawyer.

Almost all Virginia employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance in the event that their employees get sick or hurt on the job and temporarily can’t work. Because missing even a single paycheck can be devastating for many families, that insurance is designed to provide a safety net for workers whose health prevents them from earning the wages that their loved ones depend on.

But in an effort to make sure only people who truly need the benefits are allowed to get them, the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission has developed strict criteria for approving claims. Its strict guidelines and review process mean that many valid claims get denied for minor mistakes and oversights, leaving injured employees with no recourse for recovering their lost wages.

The Virginia workers’ compensation attorneys at Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers know how important claims are to injured workers and how vital it is for them to get approved the first time around. Our years of experience building and submitting workers’ compensation claims for injured employees throughout the state means that we know exactly what the commission looks for when it reviews claims.

Don’t take any chances when it comes to getting the money you and loved ones need during this difficult time. Get our experienced legal team on your side today. Call us for a free consultation to find out how we may be able to help.