CompFox AI Summary
Defendant County of Kern sought reconsideration of a WCJ's Findings of Fact and Discovery Order which determined that Dr. Scott Graham was the Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME) for both claims and that defendant waived its right to a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) examination. The defendant argued that the waiver finding was improper and they were entitled to a new medical-legal evaluation panel. The Appeals Board granted reconsideration, rescinded the WCJ's decision, and returned the matter for further proceedings, primarily due to an inadequate record and deficiencies in the minutes of hearing. The Board also noted that based on current Labor Code interpretations, the parties' agreement to an AME once initiated, generally precludes subsequent QME panel requests for submitted issues.
Full Decision Text1 Pages
Defendant County of Kern sought reconsideration of a WCJ's Findings of Fact and Discovery Order which determined that Dr. Scott Graham was the Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME) for both claims and that defendant waived its right to a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) examination. The defendant argued that the waiver finding was improper and they were entitled to a new medical-legal evaluation panel. The Appeals Board granted reconsideration, rescinded the WCJ's decision, and returned the matter for further proceedings, primarily due to an inadequate record and deficiencies in the minutes of hearing. The Board also noted that based on current Labor Code interpretations, the parties' agreement to an AME once initiated, generally precludes subsequent QME panel requests for submitted issues.
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