I had lumbar disc surgery at L5-S1 resulting from an Virginia work Accident. What can I expect in terms an award of my permanent partial disability?

For starters, you should review a previous post which contains the Virginia schedule for Permanent Partial disability found at Virginia Code 65.2-503. If you take a look at that code section which specifically deals with permanent loss following a Virginia work related accident, you will notice that there is no provision for permanent partial disability for a back injury. Your case will still has value once you reach maximum medical improvement, but it will depend of a reasonable valuation of the cost of your future care, among other factors. For this reason, any Virginia Work injury with likely a permanent disability to the back or neck as result of back or neck surgery, should seek the assistance of a qualified lawyer. Valuing a back or neck claim can be a difficult proposition for someone unfamiliar with the cost of care and the long term consequences of a back or neck injury.