Virginia Workers’ Compensation: Vocational Rehabilitation Do’s and Don’ts
If you’ve been injured on the job and your employer is requesting that you attend vocational rehabilitation counseling, there are several important things you need to know.
Virginia Workers’ Compensation Vocational Rehab Do’s
It’s important that you DO these things:
- Show up to your first scheduled meeting with the vocational rehabilitation counselor. You CAN’T REFUSE to go to this first meeting. But, if you haven’t been released to return to light-duty work, you don’t have to go to vocational rehabilitation meeting after the first one.
- Make a good faith effort at each interview you are sent on.
- Truthfully answer every question posed to you during an interview. But, you should only give information about your workers’ compensation injury and restrictions if the interviewer asks.
- If your vocational rehabilitation counselor is breaking the rules about finding jobs within your restrictions, you should write to the adjuster, tell him/her that your counselor isn’t following the rules, and request a replacement counselor.
- Ask for reimbursement of expenses incurred in rehabilitation efforts, including mileage, copying costs, postage, etc.
It’s important that you DON’T do these things:
- DON’T lie to prospective employers about your restrictions. You can’t bring up the topic with an interviewer, but you shouldn’t lie if the employer asks.
- You can’t turn down a job that is within your restrictions if your vocational rehab counselor finds one for you.
- If you are working with a vocational rehabilitation counselor, you aren’t required to do extra job searches on your own outside of working with voc rehab.
- You should not spend more time on vocational rehabilitation than you would working a regular job.
- You don’t have a take a job that is outside a reasonable distance of your residence. So, you don’t have to relocate to accept a job.
- DON’T accept a job that is outside of your work restrictions.
- DON’T give the rehabilitation counselor personal or financial information, such as number of children, spouse’s employment, credit history, etc.
Talk To A Virginia Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you’ve been referred to a vocational rehabilitation counselor, it’s important that you know the pitfalls of the process. Do you know what you need to do to make sure they don’t take advantage of you?
Talking with a lawyer before you head into vocational rehabilitation is always a good idea. A lawyer who has experience handling Virginia workers’ compensation cases can help you navigate the complex are of vocational rehabilitation.
The attorneys at the Ritchie Law Firm have decades of experience fighting for employees who have been injured. Our team knows how to beat the vocational rehabilitation counselors and get you the compensation you need.
Has the insurance company sent you for vocational rehabilitation counseling? Is the voc rehab counselor treating you unfairly? We can help.
When your health and family are on the line, the Ritchie Law Firm goes into BATTLE for you! Don’t waste time letting the insurance company build its case against you. Call us TODAY!
