Injured clients ask why there are microphones at comp hearings. The rooms are generally small, and everyone can hear each other just fine. The mikes are not to amplify the voices. Rather, the microphones are for recording the trial so that if later one party or the other wants to appeal, they can have a transcript 
typed up so that the Commission (and perhaps the VIrginia Court of Appeals or even the Supreme Court of Virginia) can see what everybody said on the record. There are no “live” court reporters at Virginia comp hearings, like there are at jury trials Doug Landau has presented. However, recent cases involving fractured legs, arms, hands, concussions and brain injury that we have won for injured workers have been appealed, and that means that the Full Commission must have the tape recorded proceedings typed up and each side must pay for a copy. Shown here is a witness about to testify in front of the microphone at a Virginia Workers Compensation Commission hearing that arose as the result of a traffic accident fatality in Fairfax County.
