Recent Posts By Bryn Swartz

Getting hurt on the job can be both discouraging and painful, especially if it is a spinal cord or back injury. You may face an uphill battle in your fight for workers’ compensation (“workers’ comp”) benefits for an on-the-job injury. Dealing with the bureaucracy of a workers’ comp claim is probably the last thing you want to think about when you are recovering from a back injury. Help is available, though, so you do not have to go through this process by yourself. A Virginia workers’ compensation attorney who focuses their practice exclusively on these types of claims can help you understand your rights and options. Workers’ comp attorney…

Disclaimer: Please note nothing in this article is to be considered legal advice. You should always consult with an attorney about the specific facts of your situation before making any legal decisions. No attorney/client relationship or representation relationship is created by the dissemination of this content or your consumption thereof. In 2021, 48,201 major workplace injuries were reported to the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, and these included various types of foot injuries. A foot injury received while at work can severely impact your quality of life and your ability to perform well at your job. If this happens to you, …

Disclaimer: Please note nothing in this article is to be considered legal advice. You should always consult with an attorney about the specific facts of your situation before making any legal decisions. No attorney/client relationship or representation relationship is created by the dissemination of this content or your consumption thereof. If you have been injured on the job, your first step is to notify your employer. It will be your employer’s insurance that will be on the hook to pay for your injuries. This process means an insurance adjuster will be assigned to your case, and their main goal is the opposite of yours. You want benefits…

Disclaimer: Nothing in this article should be taken as legal advice. Every workers’ comp case is different, and you should consult with an attorney before taking legal action on your case. When you get hurt, it can seem like your whole life is crashing down around you. Knowing that you might qualify for workers’ comp helps relieve some tension, but what if you need surgery for your injury or illness? The stress accompanying such a realization can be overwhelming and interfere with your peace of mind as well as your ability to heal. Pathfinder Injury Law will be here to guide you through your workers’ comp claim process so you can spend mor…

* Nothing in this article should be taken as legal advice. Every case is different, and you should consult with an attorney before taking legal action on your case. Like most of us, you’re a hard worker. When you head off to your job in the morning, you expect that your employer has all of the safety precautions in place to protect you from injury. Unfortunately, severe accidents happen even to the most conscientious employees, and they can affect you for the rest of your life. The work injury could impact whether you can work in the same field in the future. In those situations, having a knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney is cri…

You do not expect to leave your home and get injured at work, yet workplace injuries still happen frequently for Virginia employees. When they do, you may find yourself out of work for extended periods of time, and this can have a negative impact on your morale as well as your finances. Also, if you did hurt yourself at work, it is very likely the intricate workers’ compensation process will frustrate you. Pathfinder Injury Law is here to help guide you through that confusing process of workers’ compensation in Virginia and get the help you need. One work-related injury that is particularly troubling is a hurt hip. Hip injuries can be debi…

Work-related injuries can be devastating and not just physically. The costs incurred due to a work-related injury can put a major dent in your financial status, which is why it’s important to consult an attorney and claim compensation when you’ve been injured on the job. Fortunately, Virginia has a Workers’ Compensation Act that provides access to benefits without having to go to court. Employers with at least two employees are required to have Workers’ Comp coverage for their employees. If your employer has you covered under Workers’ Comp insurance, it’s still important to know if your situation qualifies for Workers’ Comp benefits in Vir…

Getting injured on the job can be difficult. It might mean you have to take time off work and lose wages. It can also mean you need to file a worker’s comp claim. The paperwork for this process can be time-consuming. Sometimes your employer might not be very helpful. Knowing the best tips for filing the claim and doing all the paperwork correctly means faster payouts and an easier time after your injury. How Does the Claim Process Work? After your injury, there is a limited time to file the claim. You need to start the paperwork and file the claim as soon as possible. Failure to file the claim as soon as possible might mean your claim gets…

When you’ve suffered a work-related injury, you need Workers’ Comp benefits that cover all the costs of your injury. But that may not be a simple case. You may have a pre-existing condition that impacts your Workers’ Comp claim. If you’re worried about the ways a previous injury can impact your claim, reach out to a Virginia Workers’ Comp lawyer to calculate your claim’s worth. We’re here to guide you to the max benefits you’re due for your injuries. How a Pre-Existing Condition Can Impact Workers’ Comp When you’re injured in a work accident, you’re due benefits that cover the costs of your recovery. But if you already had an injury or ill…

If you are being listed as an independent contractor for the first time or just started working with a new employer, you might be confused by this term and what it means for your job and taxes. Independent contractors do not have the same status as regular employees and are not covered under most federal employment statuses. However, an employer can’t just call you an independent contractor to avoid certain requirements at the federal or state levels. If you are performing duties as a regular employee, then you need to be paid and referred to as a regular employee. If you’re unsure whether your position should be contracted out or not, con…

When you’re hurt in a work-related accident, you may have plenty of questions about your Workers’ Comp claim. You may be struggling to get the answers you need, and you may have trouble getting these answers on your own. Because of this, you may need to speak with a Workers’ Comp lawyer before your claim goes to court. These claims can be confusing, and if you’re struggling to get answers, it can be easy to make mistakes. Luckily, your lawyer is here to help you avoid any problems that can impact your claim. Check out the following questions, and talk to a lawyer if you have more questions about your case. When will I receive my Workers’ C…

A work accident can leave you severely injured, but there can be many steps to getting compensated fairly for your Workers’ Comp claim. You may be expected to make records of your accident, which can work against you if you’re not careful. When preparing for your deposition, keep the following in mind. Acting now, before your deposition, can help you protect your compensation later. What Is a Deposition? A Workers’ Comp deposition is simply a court session where you’ll be asked questions about yourself, your medical history, and your work accident. This deposition gives the court a recorded statement about the work accident, giving them th…

When you’re hurt in an on-the-job accident, you may be confused, overwhelmed, and struggling to determine how you’re supposed to overcome such severe losses. You may even be unsure of how exactly your accident happened. How does something like faulty equipment leave workers so severely injured? Read on to learn more about common ways faulty equipment can leave you injured and what you can do about it under Virginia law. Failure to Protect Your Safety When you’re seriously injured in an accident, it may be because certain safety mechanisms didn’t work like they were supposed to. Let’s say you were working with heavy machinery like a forklif…

When you’ve suffered a serious shoulder injury at work, you may need to dig deeper into the causes. Proving you were hurt on the job can be tough, and your injuries may already be preventing your return to work while bills continue to pile up. Because of this, you may need to speak with a Workers’ Compensation lawyer about your shoulder injury and what caused it. Your lawyer can discuss your accident and help you prove the connection between your work and the injury. That way, you can get the coverage you need to focus on your recovery with the financial support you need. Repetitive Motion Injuries When your job requires you to make the sa…

When you’re hurt in a work accident, you may just want to get your Workers’ Comp benefits and focus on your health. But that may not be so easy to do when your employer tries to retaliate against you. If you believe your employer has retaliated against you for filing a Workers’ Comp claim, you may need to speak with a lawyer about your Workers’ Comp rights. Retaliation is never ok, and you may have grounds for a claim to get the Workers’ Comp benefits you’re due. Is Employer Retaliation Legal? Many employees worry about reporting a work accident out of fear that their employer will retaliate against them. You may be worried about being bla…