In order to win a Social Security Disability claim there must be proof of “severe” impairments. These severe impairments must disable the claimant from work that is found in both the local and the national economy. A recent case from the 4th Circuit found the claimant had “severe” impairments of severe Lyme disease and fibromyalgia.…
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In order to qualify for weekly wage loss benefits beyond the Virginia 500-week limit, a worker must lose two arms, two legs, two eyes, etc. in the same workplace accident. If a Virginia worker loses her arm in an on-the-job accident, and then loses her other arm months later doing the same job for the…
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If a claimant does not have a single medical condition that satisfies the requirements for Social Security Disability, a combination of impairments can also lead to Federal benefits. In a recent case the Administrative Law Judge found the claimant’s combination of: Degenerative Disc disease of the spine, Post-Laminectomy syndrome, Chronic Bronchitis, Degenerative Joint Disease, and…
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How can we inspire the legal professionals of tomorrow? Virginia trial lawyer Doug Landau was not thinking about that when he responded to a notice just over two years ago from the Fairfax Bar Association (FBA) seeking an Attorney Volunteer to help students at a local middle school prepare for a competition on constitutional law.…
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It seems we were not the only ones to notice and comment on the recent NPR/ProPublica series on our nation’s workers’ comp system. Entitled “The Demolition of Workers’ Comp,” the NPR/ProPublica piece is an investigation into workers’ comp in the United States. It presents a scathing depiction of an inconsistent and difficult-to-navigate system once designed…
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