Former insurance defense attorney · Richmond & Hampton Roads
The Virginia workers’ comp lawyer insurance companies hope you don’t hire.
I spent years building cases for insurers. Now I build them against insurers, and I’ll tell you, in plain English, exactly how to strengthen and value your claim.
$100M+ recovered
5.0 ★ · 90+ Google reviews
No fee unless we win
Corey R. Pollard · Best Lawyers in America®, Workers’ Compensation, 2020–2026
Tell me what’s happening.
No cost, no obligation. I reply personally within one business day.
"*" indicates required fields
$100M+
recovered for injured workers and the disabled
15+ years
on both sides of the table: insurance defense, then claimants
2,000+
cases at every stage of the Commission
5.0 ★
rating across 90+ Google reviews
Find your starting point.
Wherever you are in the process, there is a right next move, and a clock running on it. Start where you actually are.
I just got hurt at work
The first 48 hours decide more than the hearing will. What to say, do, and never sign.
I’m worried about deadlines
Virginia gives you 30 days to give written notice, and two years to file. Miss either and the case is usually over.
My claim was denied
Denials are a negotiating posture, not a verdict. Most of my seven-figure results started as denials.
I can’t work at all anymore
SSDI and SSI, explained without the jargon, and what actually gets approvals at a hearing.
I was offered a settlement
Before you sign anything, run the same numbers the adjuster ran. I’ll show you their worksheet.
My benefits stopped
Checks don’t just “stop.” Someone made a decision, and there’s a process for challenging it.
I can’t go back to my old job
Permanent restrictions change the value of your case more than the injury itself. Here’s why.
I just want to talk to someone
Tell me what’s happening. I’ll tell you what it means. Free, confidential, and I answer personally.
What I do.
One law firm, two systems: Virginia workers’ comp and Social Security Disability. When your case gets hard, nothing about it is new to us.
Workers’ Compensation
Every benefit, hearing, and settlement before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Social Security Disability
SSDI and SSI applications, appeals, and hearings, statewide.
Construction Accidents
Falls, machinery, and third-party claims layered on top of comp.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The invisible injury insurers discount most, and the evidence that stops them.
What the insurer won’t volunteer.
Workers’ comp isn’t a favor. It’s a formula. Take a Richmond nurse earning $1,050 a week who herniates a disc lifting a patient. The insurer knows her number to the dollar. She usually doesn’t.
I’ll show you the math they’re hoping you never run, before you accept a check, a light-duty offer, or a “final” decision.
Her maximum exposure, the number the adjuster’s reserve may start from:
| Average weekly wage | $1,050 |
| Temporary total disability rate (66⅔%) | $700 / week |
| Maximum duration under Virginia law | 500 weeks |
| Wage benefits alone, if restrictions hold | $350,000 |
The reserve the insurer actually books is often lower than this, discounted for the present value of money and the odds she returns to work. Lifetime medical care comes on top, and it’s often worth more than the wage checks.
Actual recoveries.
Every one of these started with someone who wasn’t sure they had a case.
$4,500,000+
Spinal cord injury, Southwest Virginia. Logger fell from a tree; $2M in ongoing benefits plus a $2M lump sum at mediation.
$4,250,000+
Brain injury and spinal fusion, Hampton Roads. Truck driver, catastrophic collision.
$1,250,000+
Lumbar fracture, Richmond. Roofer fell more than 15 feet; lifetime medical secured.
$1,000,000+
Arm amputation and PTSD, Northern Virginia. Logging mill machinery accident.
$615,000+
Spinal cord injury, Charlottesville. Janitor, slip and fall the insurer called “minor.”
$445,000+
Shoulder, neck, and work-related depression. Flight attendant, including the psychiatric claim most lawyers won’t touch.
Past results don’t guarantee future outcomes. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Built cases on their side. Now I build them against it.
I started out representing insurance companies and self-insured employers. I drafted the defenses, scripted the recorded statements, and priced the settlements. Then I switched sides, permanently.
When you call, you get me. Not an intake team, not a case manager. The lawyer who knows the defense playbook because he wrote his share of it.
The record
- Best Lawyers in America®Workers’ Compensation (Claimants), 2020–2026
- Super Lawyers Rising Star2016–2025
- $100M+ recovered2,000+ cases before the Commission
- Published precedentDecisions in the Virginia Court of Appeals. See Inova Alexandria Hospital v. Santora and Village Avenue Management v. Schofield
What clients say.
★★★★★
“They offered me a low settlement, so I contacted Mr. Pollard. He got me a settlement offer for four times as much in under a month.”
Avvo review · workers’ compensation client
★★★★★
“I felt seen and heard and fought for. The settlement met what I dreamed of and didn’t expect.”
Google review · workers’ compensation client
★★★★★
“He’s honest, explains things in detail, and has a knack for keeping you grounded and calm while he’s fighting for you.”
Google review · workers’ compensation client
Two libraries. Four hundred straight answers.
I’ve written the reference I wish every injured Virginian had on day one, organized so you can find your exact situation, not a brochure.
Virginia Workers’ Compensation
340+ guides covering the entire system: benefits, injuries, settlements, hearings, and the insurer playbook.
Social Security Disability
55+ guides on SSDI and SSI: qualifying, applying, appealing, and winning at the hearing stage.
From the desk of Corey Pollard.
Settlements
What your case is really worth
The insurer's worksheet, line by line, before you sign anything.
Work Injuries
Why the first 48 hours decide your case
Written notice, the first medical record, and the recorded statement.
Case Update
Four new opinions, and what they change
Wage corrections, video spoliation, and an insurer-insured conflict.
Common questions, straight answers.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Virginia?
You must give your employer written notice within 30 days under Va. Code § 65.2-600, and file a claim with the Commission within two years. The 30-day clock is where most good cases quietly die. Handle it first.
Can I see my own doctor?
Usually not at the start. Your employer must offer a panel of at least three physicians, and you pick from it. Choose carefully. The treating doctor’s opinions will drive the entire case.
What does hiring you cost?
Nothing unless we win. Fees in workers’ comp cases are contingent and must be approved by the Commission. The consultation is free either way.
The insurer is already being helpful. Do I still need a lawyer?
Maybe not, and I’ll tell you so. But remember that the adjuster’s job is to close your file for as little as possible. A free case review costs them leverage and costs you nothing.
Tell me what’s happening.
I’ll tell you what it means.
Free, confidential, and I respond personally, usually the same business day.
Richmond (804) 251-1620
Hampton Roads (757) 810-5614