Familiarity with the Labor Code and the WCAB/DWC regulations is a fundamental necessity for practicing workers’ compensation law in the State of California. Given this fact, it is surprising how many attorneys show up on the day of trial without... Read More
Today is auspicious for two reasons. First it is "Bid Day" at Auburn University. Picture above is my Sweet Caroline (in the white eyelet dress) offering a "bid" to her little sister. And another great Gamma Phi Beta tradition continues... Read More
A new analysis of independent medical review decisions issued in 2014 suggests that the medical dispute resolution process mandated by the workers’ compensation reform bill enacted in 2012 is working to assure that the treatment provided to California... Read More
A decision by a rehabilitation counseling professor to seek out and follow a physical therapy regime utilizing a “Thera-Band” (a resistive latex exercise band), in spite of the fact that her treating physician told her that she did not need... Read More
Injured employees who are off work for a significant amount of time are often out of physical shape and are not physically ready to return to work when they have reached their maximum medical improvement. Work hardening, which is performed by physical... Read More
A new analysis of 2015 independent medical review (IMR) outcomes shows there was no significant reduction in IMR volume in the first quarter of this year, even though the independent medical reviewers continue to concur with the utilization review (UR... Read More
Two new studies published by Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) show that on average three out of four injured workers in the United States receive opioid prescriptions for pain relief following workplace injuries and that generally... Read More
Greater medical consensus could reduce geographic variability A recent study published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that there is geographic variation in the use of medical treatment guidelines that reaches... Read More