Last year, the Workers Compensation Commission received reports for more than 2,000 work-related injuries in Newport News VA.
These workplace accidents happen in many employment settings in Newport News, including the manufacturing, food and beverage processing, healthcare, construction, maritime and shipbuilding, technology, education, and retail industry sectors. And no matter how cautious you are or how safe the work environment is, the potential for an injury that causes a life-changing disability always exists.
Fortunately, you have a legal remedy if you suffer a workplace injury or occupational illness in Newport News: workers compensation benefits. And depending on who or what causes your industrial accident, you may have a third-party action based on the other person’s negligence (in addition to filing a workers comp claim).
This article explains what to expect if you get hurt at work in Newport News and why I am the right lawyer if you suffer a severe occupational injury or illness. Although the workers comp system is in place to protect you and your family, getting the insurance companies and claim administrator (Sedgwick, Gallagher Bassett, ESIS, etc.) to pay can be challenging.
Keep reading for more information about Newport News workers comp claims.
And call me if you have questions about workers comp in Virginia: 757-810-5614.
Born in Hilton Village before moving to Hidenwood, swam for Glendale Pool in the summer, and graduated from Menchville High School) I am a workers compensation lawyer serving Newport News employees by helping them win their cases and negotiate lump sum workers comp settlements.
Newport News, the fifth-most populous city in Virginia, is located on the Peninsula side of Hampton Roads in the Tidewater region. It borders James City County, York County, and Hampton and shares water borders with Portsmouth, Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, and Surry County.
Central neighborhoods and communities in this city include Beechmont, Beechwood, Brandon Heights, City Center, Colony Pines, Deep Creek, Denbigh, Glendale, East End, Hidenwood, Hilton Village, Beaconsdale, Ivy Farms, Huntington Heights, Kiln Creek, Lee Hall, Menchville, Maxwell Gardens, Morrison, Newsome Park, Oyster Point, Parkview, Port Warwick, Richneck, Riverside, Sedgefield, Summerlake, Village Green, and Warwick.
As of the 2020 U.S. Census, more than 180,000 people live here.. And the median age is 32 years old, with 23.4% of Newport News’s population under 18.
Newport News has two hospitals serving injured workers and those needing surgery or emergency services: Riverside Regional Medical Center, which has approximately 450 inpatient beds, and Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital, with about 123 beds.
In addition, injured Newport News workers may need treatment with one of the local orthopedic practices such as:
The shipbuilding, transportation, defense contracting, and aerospace industries are key players in the economy of Newport News.
In addition to the healthcare systems listed earlier in the article, the city’s major employers include the following:
The next parts of this article answer questions you may have as an injured worker in Newport News
Workers compensation is insurance coverage that provides cash benefits and medical treatment to workers who are injured or become sick because of their job.
Benefits are available regardless of fault. Indeed, you can receive wage loss payments and lifetime medical treatment for your workplace injuries, even if you are to blame for the industrial accident.
Employers must pay for this insurance in Virginia when they have more than two employees regularly in service (full-time or part-time). Therefore, workers comp covers most employees in Newport News.
Injured employees relinquish the right to sue their employer in tort in exchange for these benefits and the relaxed burden of proof. And this is why workers comp is called an exclusive remedy.
If you prove eligibility for workers comp, you may receive the following benefits:
According to the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission’s 2022 Annual Report, the most common accident types resulting in claims were the following:
And the body parts injured the most were:
In addition, females suffered 59% of the workplace injuries, and males suffered 41%.
You put yourself in a better position to recover benefits and demand a fair workers comp settlement when you do the following after an industrial accident or work-related car crash:
The Workers Compensation Commission does not have a hearing location in Newport News.
Instead, your workers comp hearing will occur in Hampton if you get hurt in Newport News or live here. The exact address is:
Hampton
22 Lincoln Street
Hampton, VA 23669
Usually, you can get a trial date in this location within two to four months of submitting your initial claim or change-in-condition application to the Commission.
Deputy Commissioner Lee Wilder hears Newport News workers comp claims in the Hampton hearing location. His home office is the Commission’s regional headquarters in Virginia Beach.
Generally, Deputy Commissioner Wilder limits cases to one-hour hearings. He will give the parties more time; however, they will have to return later.
Therefore, if you suffered a work-related injury in Newport News, you should use extensive pretrial discovery to get as many stipulations from the insurance carrier as possible. Doing so allows you to narrow the number of disputed issues and present your case efficiently.
In my experience, Deputy Commissioner Wilder does not serve as a mediator in workers compensation mediations.
Many of you work for the federal government, a defense contractor, a railroad company, or a maritime employer in Newport News. Therefore, other federal workplace injury laws may apply to your accident. These laws include the following:
As your Newport News workers compensation lawyer, my firm will help you:
You have two options after a job-related accident requiring medical treatment and lost time from work.
You can take on the workers comp adjuster and their team of insurance defense attorneys alone while trying to heal and wondering when you will get your next paycheck.
Or you can call a skilled workers comp attorney in Newport News who can help you navigate the complex system of Virginia workers compensation laws and regulations to get wage loss benefits and medical care. And who uses pretrial discovery to develop the evidence in your case and scare the insurance adjuster into paying more in settlement.
You only get one shot at fair compensation after an accident.
Let our Newport News workers compensation lawyers start by calling 757-810-5614 for a free consultation. Remember – the first workers compensation claim deadline runs 30 days from the accident, so you must start now to increase your claim’s value.
We have helped thousands of injured employees like you, including your neighbors and coworkers, resolve their Newport News personal injury, car accident, and disability cases successfully.