Virginia Beach’s economy rests on tourism and hospitality, construction, retail, healthcare, and the military and its contractors, and each of those industries produces workplace injuries. Hotel housekeepers, restaurant and kitchen staff, delivery drivers, and construction crews are hurt every day. Inman & Strickler, P.L.C. represents injured workers, not insurance companies, in workers’ compensation claims across Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads, and our office is on Lynnhaven Parkway.
The most common claims our attorneys see are fall injuries and lifting injuries, particularly among delivery drivers and construction workers. Virginia Beach adds its own versions: slips in kitchens and hotel corridors, repetitive strain among housekeeping and restaurant staff, and falls from roofs and scaffolds on the city’s steady stream of building projects.
Virginia sets firm deadlines that can end a claim before it starts. Under Virginia Code § 65.2-600, you must give your employer notice of a workplace accident immediately, or as soon as practical afterward. Under Virginia Code § 65.2-601, a formal claim must be filed with the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years of the accident or the right to compensation is generally barred. In the first 24 to 48 hours, report the injury to a supervisor, describe exactly what happened, and get medical attention right away, giving the same careful description to your treating provider. Inconsistent accounts are a common way carriers dispute valid claims.
Virginia workers’ compensation covers medical treatment, a portion of lost wages, and payment for permanent disability. It does not pay for pain and suffering or inconvenience, which surprises many injured workers. When a claim is accepted without a contested hearing, we make sure it is memorialized in a formal Award Order, which secures lifetime medical benefits and continuing compensation instead of an informal understanding with the carrier.
When an employer or its carrier disputes that an injury happened at work, the case typically goes to a formal hearing before a Deputy Commissioner. Accidents in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk are heard in Virginia Beach. Hearings are less formal than a courtroom trial, but the rules of evidence still apply. Either side can appeal to the Full Commission, and a further appeal can go to the Virginia Court of Appeals. Appeals can take months and sometimes years.
You do not have to accept a settlement, and the insurance carrier does not have to offer one. Every settlement must also be approved by the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. Depending on the severity of the injury, a case can resolve in months or stretch on for years. That range is normal, not a sign something has gone wrong. A straightforward claim can wrap up quickly, while one involving a permanent or disputed injury may take years of steady advocacy to settle fairly. Our approach does not change either way: we push for the right result, not just the fastest one.
Not every claim comes from a single accident. Occupational diseases, which develop gradually from workplace conditions, follow their own filing rules, generally two years from when the disease was communicated to the employee as work-related or five years from the last injurious exposure, whichever comes first. These claims often need more medical documentation and are disputed more often.
Sometimes someone other than your employer causes a workplace injury, such as a negligent driver while you were in a work vehicle or a defective piece of equipment. You may be able to bring a separate personal injury claim against that third party in addition to workers’ compensation benefits, potentially recovering for pain and suffering, which workers’ compensation does not pay.
Carriers often request an independent medical exam arranged and paid for by the insurance company, and the results are sometimes used to argue a worker has recovered more than they have. You are generally required to attend a properly scheduled exam, but you should understand how the results may be used before you go.
If you are receiving benefits and your employer or its carrier tries to end them, you have the right to contest that decision before the Commission. Benefits generally cannot be stopped without proper notice and, in many situations, Commission approval. Acting quickly makes a real difference.
Your employer or its carrier usually has the right to offer a panel of physicians to choose from after a workplace injury, at least at first. There are ways to request a change later if the assigned provider is not adequately treating you, and we help clients understand their options.
Because workers’ compensation work focuses so heavily on medical records and treatment, our attorneys can also spot a potential medical malpractice issue when treatment for a work injury goes wrong. We evaluate this alongside the workers’ compensation claim when it is relevant.
We represent workers from every part of the city: hospitality and restaurant employees at the Oceanfront and in the Resort Area, office and retail workers in Town Center and Hilltop, tradespeople and delivery drivers who live in Kempsville, Great Neck, and Bayside, and farm and rural workers in Princess Anne and Pungo. Hearings for Virginia Beach accidents are held in Virginia Beach, so you do not have to travel to have your case heard.
Steve Strickler has practiced law for over 45 years and has concentrated solely on workers’ compensation and disability claims for the last 20, securing more than $35 million in settlements for injured workers. He was named a Top Lawyer for workers’ compensation law by Coastal Virginia Magazine in 2025 and 2026. Matt Weinberg is a partner and trial lawyer who represents injured workers before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission and also helps medical providers recover on underpaid claims.
Most of our new workers’ compensation clients come from referrals by former clients, friends, and family. We meet with clients face to face and keep them informed of every development in their case, so they are not left wondering what is happening.
How long do I have to report a workplace injury in Virginia?
Virginia Code § 65.2-600 requires notice to your employer immediately or as soon as practical after the accident.
How long do I have to file a formal workers’ compensation claim?
Virginia Code § 65.2-601 generally requires filing with the Commission within two years of the accident.
Does workers’ compensation pay for pain and suffering?
No. It covers medical treatment, a portion of lost wages, and permanent disability, but not pain and suffering.
Where will my Virginia Beach workers’ compensation hearing be held?
Accidents in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk are heard by a Deputy Commissioner in Virginia Beach. Decisions can be appealed to the Full Commission and then the Virginia Court of Appeals.
I was hurt by someone other than my employer. What are my options?
You may be able to bring a separate personal injury claim against that third party in addition to your workers’ compensation benefits.
Call us at 757-486-7055 or contact us to talk with a Virginia Beach workers’ compensation attorney. Inman & Strickler, P.L.C. | 575 Lynnhaven Pkwy #200, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
