Virginia Workers Compensation Commission – Powers, Role, & Contact Information

 

The Virginia Workers Compensation Commission (VWC) is the state agency that decides disputes between injured workers and employers, approves benefit agreements and settlements, and enforces the Workers Compensation Act and rules in Virginia.

 

What Does the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission Do?

 

Understand the VWC’s Part in Your Claim

 

If you have a work injury or develop an occupational disease in Virginia, you will likely interact with the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission and its employees—a lot. This independent state government agency decides whether you should receive the workers compensation benefits you seek when the employer denies your claim.

 

This article explains the Commission’s mission, powers, leadership, and responsibilities, while giving you contact information and tips to make the process smoother.

 

I know dealing with the VWC can feel overwhelming when you’re already injured and worried about bills and whether you’ll recover. That’s normal. The system is complex, but understanding the basics of how the Commission works will help you feel more confident about your case.

 

Read on to learn more.

 

And if you need help with Virginia workers compensation, call (804) 251-1620 or complete this online form to schedule a free consultation. My firm, Corey Pollard Law, has obtained millions in workers compensation settlements for injured employees. See how we can help you.

 

 

What You Need to Know About the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission

 

In a nutshell, the VWC is the state board responsible for handling all claims for benefits due to occupational injuries or illnesses. 

 

As the trial court of record for workers compensation claims in Virginia, the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission:

 

• • Makes rules that injured workers, employers, insurance companies, and medical providers must comply with. (Read my Virginia Workers Compensation Rules overview).

 

• • Decides disputes between injured workers and employers/insurers regarding wage loss benefits (temporary total disability, temporary partial disability), permanent partial disability compensation (including the correct permanent impairment rating), medical treatment, and coverage under the Act.

 

• • Reviews agreements to pay benefits or lump sum settlements proposed by the parties. You don’t have an agreement until the Commission signs off on it.

 

Where Does the VWC Get Its Power?

 

The Commission’s authority comes from specific statutes in the Code of Virginia (Sections 65.2-200 through 65.2-205) and judicial opinions entered by the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia.

 

Key statutes and case law include:

 

• • §65.2-200 – This section renamed the Industrial Commission of Virginia to its present name, the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission, and tells you the VWC’s structure. 

 

• • §65.2-201 – Defines the VWC’s general duties and powers, which I detail below. 

 

• • §65.2-202 – Grants subpoena powers to the VWC.

 

• • §65.2-203 – Lists deputy commissioners’ duties. As explained later in the article, deputy commissioners are like trial judges. 

 

• • §65.2-205 – Creates the Ombudsman program, whose purpose is to educate unrepresented employees and employers about the workers compensation claim process. The ombudsman, however, cannot give legal advice or opinions. 

 

• • Specialty Auto Body v. Cook, 14 Va. App. 327, 330, 416 S.E.2d 233, 235 (1992): The VWC has the power to interpret its own rules, and appellate courts will defer to that interpretation unless it is arbitrary or capricious.  

 

In addition, other statutes (§65.2-704, §65.2-705, and §65.2-714) give the Commission more powers, including the authority to resolve medical fee disputes between employers, insurers, and health care providers. As the injured worker, you may be stuck in the middle of one of these medical provider fights. 

 

Who Leads the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission?

 

The Virginia General Assembly elects three people to serve as Commissioners:

 

• • One representing employers (usually a former insurance defense attorney). Robert Rapaport, a former defense attorney in Hampton Roads, holds this position.

 

• • One representing injured workers (usually a former claimants’ attorney). Wesley Marshall, a former attorney for injured workers in Fredericksburg, holds this spot.

 

• • One neutral member (usually a former deputy commissioner or an attorney who represented claimants and employers). R. Ferrell Newman, a former lawyer in Richmond, has this position.

 

I have handled claims against each of these Commissioners when they were in private practice, and have even negotiated settlements with Commissioners Rapaport and Newman when they represented employers and insurers.

 

In addition to these three, the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission’s leadership team includes Executive Director Evelyn McGill and Chief Deputy Commissioner James Szablewicz.

 

Few injured workers will have direct contact with the Commissioners. They rarely preside over trials, and usually decide appeals based on written briefs submitted by the parties.

 

What Are the Commission’s Powers and Responsibilities?

 

The Code of Virginia details specific obligations for the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission. It must:

 

• • Administer the Act and decide issues and controversies that fall under it.

 

• • Publish blank forms and informative literature free of charge.

 

• • Publish a workers compensation guide that informs injured employees of their rights under the Act. You should receive a copy of this guide whenever the Commission receives notice of your workplace incident.

 

• • Compile data from the accident reports that employers file, then publish these injury statistics in an annual report. You can view copies of past annual reports here.

 

Additionally, the VWC can do the following to carry out its mandatory responsibilities:

 

• • Conduct workers compensation hearings.

 

• • Determine which issues it will hear at trial, rule on the admissibility of evidence, and determine the weight that particular evidence will receive.

 

• • Strike pleadings or defenses.

 

• • Issue binding decisions either ordering the payment of benefits or denying the claim. 

 

• • Compelling parties and witnesses to testify under oath (swear to tell the truth) and produce requested documents. 

 

• • Subpoena witnesses and records. Alternatively, the Commission may quash subpoenas (i.e., say that a party doesn’t have to answer it).

 

• • Review the terms of proposed settlements and factual stipulations, then decide whether to approve or reject them.

 

• • Punish or sanction parties that violate discovery rules or are found in contempt. 

 

• • Appoint guardians in death benefit cases where the survivor is under 18. My firm handled one of the first cases establishing that insurers must pay for these guardians. 

 

• • Determine attorney’s fees based on Commission standards, the parties’ retainer agreements, and the quality of the work performed by the lawyer.

 

• • Sort out payment disputes between medical providers and insurers. These come up often, and you may find yourself stuck in the middle if your doctor won’t see you because the insurer hasn’t paid all of the bill.  

 

• • Provide mediation services. I almost always recommend taking advantage of the VWC’s full and final mediation services, which have a high success rate. 

 

• • Maintain special funds like the Uninsured Employers Fund and Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund. In my opinion, the VWC seems like an odd state agency to handle claims for compensation from crime victims; however, sometimes the cases overlap, such as when workplace violence leads to an injury.

 

• • Enforce employer and insurer compliance with the Code of Virginia and the Commission’s Rules.

 

You’ll notice something missing from this list – forcing employers and insurers to pay damages awards.

 

Although the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission can award benefits, it doesn’t have the power to force any party to pay a lump sum that accounts for the potential value of your case. I wish it did.

 

What is a Deputy Commissioner for the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission?

 

You will start to receive letters from a deputy commissioner with the VWC if the employer/insurer disputes all or part of your claim for benefits.

 

In Virginia, the Commissioners hire deputy commissioners to serve as trial judges when disagreements over benefits or fees for services come up. These deputy commissioners are VWC employees, and usually practiced law privately or as a staff attorney for a Virginia court or government agency before joining the Commission.

 

In their role, deputy commissioners decide pre-trial motions (usually related to discovery disputes), hear evidence, weigh the evidence, and issue judicial opinions in writing. Some deputy commissioners are also certified mediators who help parties resolve their disputes through full and final settlement mediation.

 

If a party disagrees with the deputy commissioner’s opinion, it can request a review by the three Commissioners.

 

Who Are the VWC’s Deputy Commissioners?

 

The Commission hires a new deputy commissioner when it needs to fill a need at its Richmond headquarters or in one of its regional offices in Virginia Beach, Roanoke, Bristol, Fairfax, Manassas, or Harrisonburg. Each deputy commissioner has a “home base.”

 

Something most people don’t realize: each deputy commissioner has preferences about how evidence is presented. Some prefer detailed medical reports, others want concise summaries. This is why knowing your assigned deputy commissioner matters so much.

 

Here is a list of of the Commission’s deputy commissioners by office location, current as of September 2025:

 

VWC Headquarters in Richmond

 

• • James Szablewicz, Chief Deputy Commissioner: He hears many cases on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

 

• • Frederick M. Bruner: He oversees the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission’s Settlement Department and decides whether to approve or reject proposed settlements. Compared to his predecessors, Deputy Commissioner Bruner reviews settlements much quicker. I’ve always appreciated this efficiency – it means my clients get their settlement checks faster. . 

 

• • John T. Cornett, Jr.: I remember going toe-to-toe with Deputy Commissioner Cornett several years ago on a back injury case decided by Deputy Commissioner Munoz. My client prevailed, then the parties settled. 

 

• • Angela Gibbs: I had several cases against her when she worked for an insurance defense firm based in Richmond. You can expect a thoughtful, academic-like written opinion from Deputy Commissioner Gibbs. 

 

• • Linda Gillen: I also had several cases against her when she worked for a defense firm in Richmond. She hears cases in Lawrenceville also.

 

• • Brooke Anne C. Hunter: She is one of our firm’s preferred mediators.

 

• • Andrea White Lee: She also hears cases in Williamsburg/James City County and Warsaw. You can count on Deputy Commissioner Lee to be engaged during the hearing and to ask questions to clarify disputed issues. 

 

• • P. Randolph Roach, Jr.

 

Bristol Office

 

• • Christen Burkholder

 

• • D. Edward Wise, Jr.

 

Both deputy commissioners in this Southwest Virginia location mediate cases.

 

Fairfax Office

 

This VWC location has four deputy commissioners:

 

• • David L. Bayne, Jr.: He is the newest deputy commissioner in Fairfax.

 

• • John Nevin: He is a no-nonsense deputy commissioner who expects the parties to present their evidence efficiently. You may be intimidated at first. 

 

• • Dana Plunkett: I also had cases against her when she worked for the same insurance defense firm as Deputy Commissioner Gibbs. She mediates cases.

 

• • Joshua Wulf: I had cases and mediations with Deputy Commissioner Wulf when he was in private practice with the same firm as Deputy Commissioners Gibbs and Plunkett. He also mediates cases.

 

Harrisonburg Office

 

• • William Culbreth: He hears cases in Harrisonburg and mediates claims also. Like Deputy Commissioner Hunter, Deputy Commissioner Culbreth is one of our preferred mediators. 

 

• • P. Jason Cording: He hears cases in Lexington.

 

• • Lauren Hill: She is a recent addition as a deputy commissioner. She previously worked for the Commission as a staff attorney.

 

Manassas Office

 

• • Frederick Schubert, II: “Ted” was a partner with the same insurance defense law firm as Deputy Commissioners Plunkett, Gibbs, and Wulf. He became a deputy commissioner in 2025.

 

• • W. Geovanni Munoz: He is a former claimants’ attorney in Northern Virginia.

 

• • Christopher Wilson: He became a deputy commissioner around the same time as Deputy Commissioner Schubert. He was also an insurance defense attorney in Richmond, though with a different law firm.

 

Roanoke Office

 

• • Robert Himmel: He was an insurance defense attorney with Lucas & Kite before joining the Workers Compensation Commission. He mediates cases, where his calm demeanor can help deescalate heated disputes over case value. 

 

• • Linda Slough: She was a claimants’ attorney before becoming a deputy commissioner, and also hears cases at the VWC’s Rustburg location.

 

Virginia Beach Office

 

• • Lynne Ferris: She was an insurance defense attorney at the same law firm as Commissioner Rapaport before joining the bench, and is an effective mediator.  

 

• • Terry Jenkins

 

• • Lee Wilder: He hears cases involving work injuries in Newport News, Hampton, Franklin, and southern Tidewater, usually limiting the parties to one-hour at a time. 

 

Who Oversees the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission?

 

Three entities oversee the VWC.

 

First, the Virginia General Assembly has general oversight of the Commission.

 

Second, the Court of Appeals of Virginia has the power of judicial review over a final opinion from the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission.

 

Third, the Virginia Supreme Court may review decisions from the Court of Appeals.

 

How Do I Contact the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission?

 

If you are handling your claim without an attorney, you will need to interact with the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission directly. Here are the ways to contact the VWC.

 

In Person: Visit the Richmond headquarters (333 E. Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23219) or a regional office in Bristol (425 State St., Suite 200, Bristol, VA 24201), Fairfax (Prosperity Plaza, 3020 Hamaker Court, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22031), Harrisonburg (136 W. Elizabeth St., Suite 101, Harrisonburg, VA 22802), Manassas (7900 Sudley Rd., Suite 500, Manassas, VA 20109), Roanoke (3800 Electric Rd., Suite 200, Roanoke, VA 24019), or Virginia Beach (281 Independence Blvd., Pembroke One, Suite 310, Virginia Beach, VA 23462).

 

 

Phone: 877-664-2566 is the phone number for the VWC’s Customer Contact Center.

 

 

Email: You can send general questions to the VWC at Questions@workcomp.virginia.gov. The Commission recommends calling or mailing for questions regarding a specific claim. Additionally, you cannot file a formal claim for benefits through email. Do not email the deputy commissioner assigned to your case. 

 

 

Fax: Department-specific numbers are available for filings and inquiries. For example, 804-823-6957 is the fax number for the Commission’s Clerk’s Office, 804-823-6904 is the fax number for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Department, which oversees mediations, and 804-418-4916 is the fax number for the settlement department if you have questions about a Petition or Order closing a case.

 

 

WebFile: Submit pleadings, motions, and documents online through the Commission’s electronic portal.

 

 

Helping Injured Workers Communicate with the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission

 

The Commission promotes cooperation between all parties in a claim — but disagreements happen. When they do, the VWC decides the outcome.

 

Our firm has handled thousands of claims before the Commission, understands the rules, and knows how each deputy commissioner operates.