STEVE CHEGWIN vs. SBC/PACIFIC BELL TELEPHONE; Permissibly Self-Insured, Administered By SEDGWICK CLAIMS SERVICES, INC.

The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) denied the defendant's Petition for Reconsideration. Although the WCJ initially recommended dismissal as untimely, the WCAB found the petition timely because the amended award, correcting a date for permanent disability indemnity, constituted a material change extending the reconsideration period. Despite finding the petition timely, the WCAB adopted the WCJ's reasoning for denying reconsideration on the merits. The WCAB found that the amendment regarding the start date of permanent disability indemnity was a substantial change, and the issue was sufficiently interwoven with the overall award to extend the reconsideration deadline.