Telling the Workers Comp Insurance Company to “Pound Sand”
as they typically do to Plaintiff’s attorneys.
Virginia Code Section 65.2-309 through 65.2-311 states that Worker’s Compensation carriers can assert a lien against a workers “third party tort case” to recover sums equal to the amount paid for indemnity benefits and medical expenses as are paid by the Plaintiff. See Lockwood v. Automatic Control of Tidewater, 63 O.I.C 219 (1984) and Washington v. Miller & Rhoads, 68 O.I.C. 250 (1989. The amount to which the carrier is entitled often includes the money spent on their medical care, medications and partial wage replacement benefits paid by the Worker’s Compensation Carrier.
To combat carriers that assert excessive liens Plaintiff’s attorneys should insist on a detailed statement of expenses which comprise the lien and pay only what the carrier is entitled to less a pro-rata share of your attorney’s fee and costs. The third party settlement and amounts paid in disbursement, from the settlement should be reported to the VWCC which will calculate the credit the employer/insurer is entitled to against future compensation entitlements and how future benefits will be paid. Therefore, when a Worker’s Compensation carrier asks for too much, you have your chance to tell them to proverbially “pound sand.”
If you want help telling an insurance company to “pound sand,” please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555). Law Clerk Shawn Shook helped with this post.
i lost my case in a vriginoa workers comp claim. while be litagated my dr and therapist put a medical lien against my case for shoulder surgery and physical therapy to the tune of 14,000.00. Since I lost my case, am i responsible for these medical bills?? And yes i would love to tell them to go pound sand
While I cannot comment on your particular case since I do not have all of the facts or rulings, generally, if an Award is issued calling for the payment of Medical bills, then the doctor’s charges, surgery and physical therapy may be covered. When injured workers lose their case, they are often then responsible for the charges incurred. Some injured workers have health insurance that covers care not paid for by the workers compensation insurance company, but many do not. Some times sending the “denial letter” can trigger coverage from the health insurance company which did not want to pay for a “workers comp injury.”