Independent Contractor Can't Get Benefits for Injuries

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a denial of benefits to a worker for his injuries from falling from a scaffold, finding he was an independent contractor. Case: Pineda v. Dante Siding LLC, No. 1561-23-1, 07/30/2024, unpublished. Facts: Wilmer Pineda worked for Samuel Salinas, the proprietor of Dante Siding LLC. He fell from a scaffold in October 2021 and filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Salinas contested the claim, asserting that Pineda was an independent contractor, not an employee. The evidence demonstrated that Pineda worked for Salinas regularly — ...