An award is the culmination of the Virginia worker’s compensation process. The award is intended to compensate the injured worker for his or her damages as a result of a workplace injury. A workplace injury can often set an injured worker back in many ways. Not only is there the time and expense associated with seeking medical treatment for the actual injury itself, but the worker often has to miss time as a result of the injury, consequently missing out on money he or she would otherwise have been making. The award is meant to compensate the worker for the lost earnings he or she has suffered in the past and will suffer in the future as a result of the workplace injury. In addition, the award also is intended to cover the often significant medical treatment necessitates as a result of that workplace injury.
The Components of a Virginia Worker’s Compensation Award
Lost wages are one of the most essential components of any Virginia worker’s compensation award given that many injured workers are either temporarily or permanently unable to do the same job they once were able to do prior to suffering their workplace injury given the devastating effect that a workplace injury can have on the injured worker. This can be particularly difficult for the worker given that in many circumstances an injured worker may have spent years gaining the skills, education, and experience leading up to the position the worker was at when he or she was injured. This is often skills, education and experience that not only helped the worker to succeed at his or her job, but also helped the worker to earn a good living. When the worker suffers a workplace injury, that ability to make a good living through the use of such skills, education, and experience often is taken away from the injured worker through no fault of his or her own. The amount of an award that is rendered in a Virginia worker’s compensation proceeding is based on the worker’s average weekly earnings for the 52 weeks prior to the injury and thus reflects what the injured worker was making prior to the injury.
The second component of Virginia worker’s compensation awards is the provision of funds for the costs of all treatment (past and future) that you need to undergo as a result of your workplace injury. Given the serious nature of many workplace injuries, it is particularly important to ensure that the costs of medical treatment are covered in any award you may receive in a Virginia worker’s compensation proceeding. An experienced attorney will ensure this portion of your damage is appropriately accounted for in your award.
Protect Your Rights by Retaining an Experienced Virginia Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you have suffered a workplace injury in Virginia, then worker’s compensation coverage exists to cover that scenario. An experienced Virginia worker’s compensation attorney will know how to obtain a maximum award and all compensation that you are entitled to under Virginia law for you from your employer’s worker’s compensation carrier. To learn more about protecting your rights and ensuring you receive a maximum award in your Virginia worker’s compensation claim, please contact Kalfus & Nachman today at (855) 880-8163 or through the form on this page to schedule a free consultation. Our experienced Virginia workers’ comp lawyers are here to help ensure you receive maximum compensation for your Virginia workplace incident or injury.