Pam is a nurse who contracted COVID-19 while on the job. Pam found herself fighting for her life, in a comma and on a ventilator. With mounting medical bills and a grim prognosis, her husband turned to the HammondTownsend team.
At the end of June 2020, Attorney George Townsend received a desperate call from Williams Ogunleye, Pam’s husband. “No one in this area would take my case,” Williams said, pleading for help.
The HammondTownsend team feels that healthcare workers are more than just professionals—they’re pillars of our communities. For attorney George Townsend, that made taking Pam’s case personal:
“Healthcare workers are very important to me, as are first responders. I want to be on the front line of these battles.”
The Medical Battle & Mounting Costs
Pam endured five weeks on a ventilator, followed by two months in 2 different rehab facilities. She was diagnosed with long‑haul COVID, which tragically impaired her memory and cognitive function. Williams now speaks on her behalf because she has lost a lot of her memory due to the long-haul COVID symptoms. Based on what the doctor said, she may never be 100%.
Pam had approximately $800,000 in outstanding medical bills.
The Risks Healthcare Workers Face
Nurses, EMTs, and other medical professionals face intense risks—not just emotionally, but physically. In Virginia, a 2020 Northern Virginia seroprevalence study found a 4.8% COVID seroconversion rate among asymptomatic healthcare workers over six months—nearly matching the 4.5% rate in the general community. The youngest cohort (aged 20–29) had a 7.9% rate. Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8319689/
But beyond infectious threats, medical workers also endure intense musculoskeletal injuries. Moving patients often leads to back, neck, and shoulder injuries, along with spinal and abdominal strains or hernias. These injuries may not make headlines like COVID did, but they are among the most common reasons for long-term disability in healthcare.
Under Virginia law, workers can receive compensation for both occupational diseases and conditions directly caused by their job. While “ordinary diseases of life” (such as colds or the flu) typically aren’t covered, illnesses and injuries linked to workplace duties—like lifting-related strains or infectious exposure—can qualify. Healthcare workers, in particular, face a higher burden of proof, but protections such as the COVID-19 presumption have helped level the field.
COVID Presumption
At the time, there was no legislation regarding COVID-19 and healthcare providers or first responders. But due to his ties with the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, George heard there might be a new Virginia legislation that would offer an opportunity to lighten the legal burden for those like Pam. A presumption could shift how easily workers’ comp claims could succeed.
Here’s how the COVID-19 Presumption works:
- Healthcare providers (like Pam) who contracted COVID‑19 between March 12, 2020 and December 30, 2021, benefit from a rebuttable presumption that the disease arose at work—making it easier to qualify for compensation. If your symptoms began between March 12 and June 30, 2020, a diagnosis is enough—but for cases from July 1, 2020, to December 30, 2021, a positive COVID test is required.
- First responders—including firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, and correctional personnel—are covered by a similar presumption if they fall ill between July 1, 2020, and December 30, 2021.
Definition:
In law, a “presumption” is something accepted as true unless proven otherwise.
Guiding Them to a Secure Future
This case was about so much more than medical bills. It was about securing Pam’s well-being, dignity, and future. Thanks to George’s deft legal strategy, the Ogunleyes secured a lifetime annuity—a lasting measure of peace for the family.
“It’s probably the most gratifying case I’ve had.” –George Townsend