News & Publications

SPECIAL EDITION | Coronavirus & Comp Updates

Read the full 4-part Workers’ Comp and COVID-19 Update.

Under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, COVID-19 (“coronavirus”) will likely be treated as a “disease.”  In Virginia, a disease may be compensable under the Act if it is an occupational disease or an ordinary disease of life. 

Necessity of a Diagnosis

Regardless of whether coronavirus is pursued as either an occupational disease or an ordinary disease of life, the claimant must first prove that they are actually suffering from a “disease” and will likely need to establish this with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus to successfully meet their burden of proof.  Mere exposure or symptoms consistent with coronavirus, absent a diagnosis, will not likely be enough.  However, this does not

JLARC Recommends 25 Changes - What you must know about JLARC's Report

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (“JLARC”) conducted a review of the Virginia workers’ compensation system with a special focus on the use of disease presumptions. The JLARC report was released on December 16, 2019 and included 25 recommended changes. This article includes the following:

• What JLARC's Research Included
• Summary of JLARC's Findings
• Highlights from JLARC's 25 Recommendations
• Important Links to the Actual Report and Recommendations

For this study, JLARC staff conducted research that included:

• Structured interviews of workers’ compensation attorneys (claimant and defense); leadership and staff of state agencies; representatives of local and state organizations representing police, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel; and insurers;

Looking through the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, you won’t find “marketing” or “duty to market” anywhere in the legislated sections of the Act. Instead, this frequently contested topic appears deep in the case notes of §65.2-510, a statutory provision dealing with the claimant’s refusal of employment.  

History

In J.A. Foust Coal Co. v. Messer, 195 VA. 762 (1954), the Supreme Court laid the ground work for the modern marketing rule with this single sentence: “one who has suffered a partial physical disability may obtain total incapacity payments if, because of his disability, he is unable to market his remaining capacity for work.” The consequence of this new rule was that the partially disabled

Jessica Hacker Trivizas returns home to McCandlish Holton's workers' compensation team after working on the NFL Concussion and BP Oil Spill settlements. Her background on these mass claims resolution programs gives her unique insight into the work of claims adjusters. 

By: Amanda Tapscott Belliveau

The Court of Appeals recently addressed the issue of impairment ratings as they relate to total joint replacements in Loudoun Co. v. Richardson, Record No. 1533-18-4 (April 16, 2019). The claimant sustained an injury to his hip, and the treating physician assigned a 74% loss of use rating to his left leg based upon his impairment prior to undergoing a hip replacement.  The Court of Appeals rejected the employer’s argument that the appropriate measure of loss is the claimant’s impairment after his hip replacement, as the implanted prosthetic enabled him to achieve maximum medical improvement.  The Court of Appeals found that the loss of use is measured by a claimant’s impairment at the time of the necessary implantation of the corrective device.  The Court of Appeals found that nothing in

The Workers' Compensation practice group at McCandlish Holton is thrilled to announce our 18th Annual Workers' Compensation Seminar. The seminar is one of the premier industry events in the Mid-Atlantic Region-- a full day of useful information and continuing education free to adjusters, risk managers, employers, nurse case managers, and brokers. The event will take place September 26, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. 

By: Eva C. Roffis and Joseph T. McNally, Jr.

With the spring season here and the summer months approaching, many employers may find an increase in work tasks to be performed outdoors. As a result of increased productivity outdoors, employees will be exposed to varying weather conditions and forces of nature in the form of wind, rain, lightning, hail, etc. However, accidents and injuries caused by weather conditions must be tied to an actual risk of employment in order to be found compensable.

"Act of God" and the Actual Risk Test

In Virginia, the “actual risk” test requires that the employment task expose the employee to the particular danger that instigated his or her injury. Under the actual risk test, evidence of an injury while at work from a force of nature, standing alone,

A Resource to Utilize in Workers' Comp Defense

Landscapers, surveyors, construction workers, groundskeepers, park rangers, farmworkers, and countless others spend their days working outside.  But when do weather conditions become an actual risk of employment?   

The Workers’ Compensation practice group at McCandlish Holton has reorganized after the departure of 2 of its 8 Richmond-based workers’ compensation attorneys. “McCandlish Holton’s team of 6 experienced workers’ compensation attorneys continues to represent employers, insurers and self-insureds throughout Virginia,” says Amanda Tapscott Belliveau, the new head of the McCandlish Holton Workers’ Compensation practice group. “Our team is energized and excited about this change, and we look forward to providing our clients with the same level of outstanding service and results that we have always provided.” Amanda’s team includes some of the most experienced and respected workers’ compensation attorneys in Virginia, including Lauren Hutcheson, Esther King, Emily Whittaker, Eva Roffis, and Brian Frame.