American lawyer Richard Harris and members of his team (10 lawyers and 40 paralegals) have been helping people affected at work to receive financial compensation for their suffering and disability for more than two decades.
This is the first and only legal office in Brighton Beach, specializing in cases involving grasses and compensations (the office is open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm).
“RB” did not miss the opportunity to ask lawyer Harris several topical questions, answers to which every working person living in Richmond Virginia should know.
- Mister Harris, what should a person who is injured at work do?
- On the first place, you need to see a doctor and officially record the injuries. Secondly, to inform the authorities about what happened? Thirdly, contact an experienced lawyer whose sphere of specialization is worker’s compensation.
I strongly recommend that people choose their lawyer as carefully as possible. Many lawyers claim that they work in the sphere of worker’s compensation, but in reality, they specialize in personal injury cases and are not familiar with the complex and constantly changing legislation on compensation for workers.
Especially emphasize that in the cases of worker’s compensation, you do not pay for the services of a lawyer personally. The fee is paid by the insurance company in case of a successful outcome of the case. Experienced Harris Law Group employees seek maximum compensation for their clients.
- -What exactly are professional injuries covered by compensation under the law of worker’s compensation?
- -Any trauma associated with work deserves compensation. This can be direct damage. For example, a person slipped and fell, got into a traffic accident, became a victim of an accident. Or a trauma that develops during a certain time.
For example, we have successfully defended homutentents who did not receive direct injuries but undermined their health after years of working with heavy clients. Also, the law takes into account problems with the heart, the psyche, hearing loss and many other things that resulted from a professional career.
- What responsibility does the employer have to an employee who is injured in the state of Richmond Virginia?
- Every employer is obliged to pay compensation to employees who are injured. At the same time, it does not matter how the injured people received their wages – cash, check, officially or unofficially. The law is on the side of the victim even if he does not have a social security number and he is illegally in the United States. The employer must report the injury to the insurance campaign, and if he does not do so, he will face fines and possible criminal charges.
If the worker’s compensation insurance is absent from the employer, then the money for compensation is allocated from the so-called uninsured employer’s fund. In the absence of this insurance in the state of Richmond Virginia, an injured person can sue the employer.
- -How to find out if the employer has insurance covering work injuries?
- -This will be done without any problems by your lawyer who has access to the databases of the State of Richmond Virginia. Suppose, the injured person is dissatisfied with the court decision on the amount of compensation. Can he somehow get a revision of this decision?
- The decision can be appealed to the Workers Compensation Board. If this instance does not satisfy the plaintiff’s claims, you can file documents with the Richmond Virginia State Appeals Division.
- What criteria do people who are going to receive disability benefits from the Social Security disability benefits have to match?
- These privileges rely on US citizens who, during years of hard work, managed to earn such a right (credits).
- A person should be out of work for six months and expect that about the same amount he will not be able to work because of serious health problems.
- If a person receiving a disability benefit reaches the retirement age, can he expect a pension?
- Worker’s compensation is automatically converted into a pension when a person reaches the statutory retirement age.
- What is the amount of the allowance for disabled Richmond Virginians who are injured at work? How is it determined?
- By the current law, a person can not receive more than $ 808.65 per week. The amount is determined by medical reports by a group of experts from the Council for Compensation for Workers. The lawyer should ensure that all documents are filled correctly, and the doctors who examined the client knew the basic principles of determining the incapacity for work.
It is important to note that after some time after the injury, the injured person begins to receive letters demanding to visit doctors working for the insurance company. The task of such doctors is to minimize or eliminate the negative consequences of trauma. At this stage, the attorney carefully examines the insurance company’s report, finds in its attempts to reduce or suspend payments, and then speaks to the judge and defends the client’s rights.
If you need the help of a personal injury lawyer in VA with this type of a case in Fairfax, City of Fairfax, Prince William (Manassas), Fauquier (Warrenton), Loudoun (Leesburg), Caroline, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Chesterfield, Henrico, Arlington, Richmond, Alexandria, Warren (Front Royal), Clarke, Shenandoah, King George, Charles City, Frederick, Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Hanover, Hopewell, James City, King & Queen, King William, New Kent, Newport News, Petersburg, Prince George, Rappahannock or York, call our law firm immediately for help and speak to a lawyer about your options.