Sarah Kirby is a principal in the firm's Southwest Virginia office located in Blacksburg, Virginia.

With over 14 years of workers' compensation experience, Sarah provides daily advice to carriers on a broad spectrum of issues including cumulative trauma versus injuries by accident, compensable consequence claims, change-in-condition claims, statute of limitation defenses, de facto awards, negotiating lump sum and structured settlements, and fraud and other credibility defenses.  Sarah also has extensive experience in:

• occupational disease/ordinary disease of life claims (hearing loss, carpal tunnel syndrome, toxic gas or chemical exposure, sick building syndrome)
• claims alleging occupational stress and psychological injuries
• death claims
• Medicare approval of settlements
• insurance coverage issues
• third-party liens
• appeals to the Virginia Court of Appeals

Sarah has additional expertise in handling state and federal black lung claims, defending employers before both the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission and the United States Department of Labor/Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.  She has litigated numerous cases before the USDOL Office of Administrative Law Judges as well as appeals to the Benefits Review Board.

Sarah has presented seminars on topics including an employer's duty to offer vocational rehabilitation, return to work issues, unjustified refusal of selective employment, termination for cause, and claims control and loss prevention.