McCandlish Holton’s Top 5 From 2021

As we prepare to welcome 2022, we revisit five memorable McCandlish Holton moments from 2021 worth sharing, celebrating and commemorating during a globally challenging year, complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is a list of inclusion, not order,  featuring our firm’s top five from 2021:

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Updates From The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission & General Assembly

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION DEFENSE DIGEST | FEB 2021

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The Compensability of Vaccine Side Effects

SPECIAL EDITION | Coronavirus & Comp Updates

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

The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission has awarded medical and indemnity benefits for adverse reactions to vaccines given to prevent the flu, tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, and smallpox. In those cases, the Commission evaluated whether the vaccine was an inherent risk of employment and whether the vaccine caused the claimant’s symptoms.

To determine whether a side effect of a vaccine constitutes a compensable injury by accident, the Commission considers factors including:

  1. whether the alleged side effect can be medically linked to the vaccine;
  2. whether the vaccine was required by the employer; and
  3. whether the vaccine was encouraged by the employer.

CASE LAW ANALYSIS

4 cases where claims of vaccine-related workplace injury were evaluated

CASE NO. 1 | COMPENSABLE

In Overton v. Augusta Correctional Center[1], correctional officers were regularly exposed to blood, urine, and feces at work. Due to these exposures the employer required the claimant to attend a meeting about blood borne pathogens. During the mandatory meeting,

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Proposed Bills Seek to Create Presumption for some COVID-19 Claims under the Workers’ Compensation Act

COVID-19 EDITION | Coronavirus & Comp Updates

LEGISLATIVE ALERT

      • Several bills regarding COVID-19 and its treatment under workers’ compensation have been introduced at this week’s Special Session of the Virginia General Assembly.

      • Specifically, these bills seek to establish a presumption of compensability for COVID-19 have been referred to committee for consideration. See details below for proposed bills: HB 5028; SB 5066, SB 5097, and SB 5104;  and SB 5022.

HB 5028 

Proposed amendment to Va. Code §65.2-402.1, to be retroactive to January 1, 2020: COVID-19 causing the death of, or any health condition or impairment resulting in total or partial disability of, any (i) firefighter, as defined in § 65.2-102; (ii) law-enforcement officer, as

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Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry Enacts COVID-Related Workplace Safety Standards

Requirements for employers and what employers should do now 

§ i6VAC25-220

By Samantha Stecker Otero

DOWNLOAD 1 PAGE PDF WITH KEY POINTS FROM THIS SUMMARY

On July 15, 2020, Virginia became the first state in the country to adopt an Emergency Standard for COVID-Related Workplace Safety, which applies to all employers in the Commonwealth.  In essence, the regulations require employers to analyze their worksites and the tasks that each employee performs, in order to effectively categorize the COVID-related risks inherent in those workplaces and/or tasks.

Once the categorization of risk is made, employers will then be required to abide by various requirements for each level of risk. The Emergency Standard is in effect, however the requirements regarding training and implementation of infectious disease plans (for employers in the “very high”, “high” and “medium” risk categories) will not become effective for 30-60 days. Additional guidance will be forthcoming from DOLI.

Virginia employers will need to comply with the Emergency Standard or potentially face

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Impact on Visa Holders from Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens

Summary of Impact on Current Visa Holders from Proclamation 10014 “Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak”  Effective June 24, 2020.  Processing of applications will continue in the US for ALL visa categories, including permanent residence.

The White House has issued another Proclamation “Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak” effective June 24, 2020 and remains in effect through December 31, 2020.  The Proclamation has far less of an impact than was rumored in advance of the Proclamation. 

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Who is impacted by White House Proclamation Suspending Immigration for 60 days?

Summary of 4/22/20 White House Proclamation Regarding Immigration

The White House has issued “Proclamation 10014” suspending travel to the US by individuals who will seek entry to the United States using an “immigrant visa” (a visa issued to individuals entering the US to become permanent residents).

[UPDATE: Proclamation 10014 is revoked 2/24/2021.]

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Coronavirus and a Remote Workforce: A Dual Review of Workers’ Compensation & Employment Law Concerns


SPECIAL EDITION | Coronavirus & Comp Updates

      • The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have caused many changes in how we work in Virginia.  Office workers and teachers are some of the many types of employees who have transitioned to working remotely because of Governor Northam’s Executive Orders closing schools and encouraging telework. With a large part of the workforce working remotely and/or from home, there are several issues for employers and carriers to consider.  

Workers’ Compensation Concerns

Arising Out Of

Added risks in the employee’s home workspace are likely to be “conditions of the work place” meeting the arising out of element of a workers’ compensation claim. 

Three Case Examples:

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Coronavirus, Nursing Homes and In-Home Care Providers

SPECIAL EDITION | Coronavirus & Comp Updates

      • Compensability and Burden of Proof

A nursing home employee or in-home health care professionals can prove a compensable coronavirus claim, by showing that their coronavirus diagnosis:

1. arose out of and in the course of the employment;

2. did not come from causes outside of work; and, 

3. that coronavirus is an infectious or contagious disease contracted in the course of employment in a nursing home or in the direct delivery of healthcare.

The second and third elements will likely be the most difficult to prove.  

Nursing Homes are at the Highest Risk of Being Affected

However, as COVID-19 spreads in the United States, confirmed cases in nursing homes and long-term care facilities have continued to rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) has indicated that nursing homes are at the highest risk of being

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All COVID-19 Related Updates From The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWC) and More

COVID-19 EDITION | Coronavirus & Comp Updates

The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWC) is responsible for carrying out the requirements of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, while administering Virginia's workers’ compensation program, meeting legal requirements and providing various protections.

Also included are relevant updates from other organizations, such as the WCIO.  

We will continually update this article as announcements are made. Scroll to the list of  links to each Order with summaries appearing below.

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