In a noteworthy panel decision, the WCAB in Taina v. County of Santa Clara/Valley Medical Center , 2018 Cal. Wrk. Comp. P.D. LEXIS --, affirmed the WCJ and held that the WCJ did not err by determining the level of permanent disability caused by applicant’s... Read More

The Combined Values Chart (CVC) is included in the 2005 Permanent Disability Rating Schedule (PDRS) as the tool for parties to use to add impairments. The form of mathematics is a bit odd. Under the CVC, 30 + 20 = 44. And 80 + 30 = 86. Some have wondered... Read More

Recently, there has been a significant uptick in the number of Subsequent Injury Benefit Trust Fund (SIBTF) cases being litigated before the WCAB. With these cases come some unique tweaks to existing case law. One of the more interesting issues that has... Read More

A case study from California A case handled by this author involved the diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) from a lower extremity industrial injury. The WCAB upheld a trial judge’s decision that a WPI rating can exceed the maximum... Read More

A recent noteworthy panel decision provides guidance on the WCJ’s Role vs. the Medical Expert’s role A California WCAB panel has rescinded a Workers’ Compensation Judge’s (WCJ) finding that an applicant sustained 73 percent... Read More