DAVID PETTYJOHN vs. MILLERICK ENGINEERING, MAJESTIC INSURANCE COMPANY
Reconsideration granted to address miscalculation of applicant's average weekly earnings. WCJ's findings regarding intoxication and serious and willful misconduct affirmed.
Updated Daily
Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.
Reconsideration granted to address miscalculation of applicant's average weekly earnings. WCJ's findings regarding intoxication and serious and willful misconduct affirmed.
The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board granted reconsideration of a prior decision in Rivera v. Welmore Tool & Engineering. This action was taken because a settlement has been reached during the pendency of the reconsideration. Consequently, the prior decision is rescinded, and the case is returned to the trial level for the WCJ to consider the proposed settlement. The WCJ will either approve the settlement or reinstate the original decision, with the option for either party to seek further reconsideration.
This case concerns a Petition for Reconsideration filed by the applicant, Teofilo Alvarez, against Wetmore Tools and Engineering and their insurers. The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) dismissed the petition because it was filed more than 25 days after the Administrative Law Judge's decision was served. The WCAB emphasized that the filing deadline is jurisdictional, meaning the Board lacks authority to consider untimely petitions. Had the petition been timely, it would have been denied on its merits.
This case involved a petition for reconsideration filed by a lien claimant that was dismissed by the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. The Board found the petition untimely because it was not filed within the statutory 20-day period plus 5 days for mailing. Consequently, the Board lacked jurisdiction to consider the merits of the petition. The petition was therefore dismissed as untimely.
The Appeals Board granted the defendant's petition for reconsideration, finding that the WCJ's apportionment of permanent disability was not supported by substantial evidence, despite a stipulation to a cumulative trauma injury. The Board amended the decisions to defer issues of permanent disability and apportionment, returning the cases to the trial level for further development of the record on these specific points. The existing findings on injury, excluding apportionment, were otherwise affirmed.
This case involves Ruben Ortiz seeking workers' compensation benefits. The primary issue is whether the applicant's injuries from a specific incident are compensable under workers' compensation law. The litigation involves multiple defendants, including the applicant's employer, its insurer (in liquidation), and the California Insurance Guarantee Association, alongside other entities. The core dispute centers on the causal link between the employment and the claimed injuries. The outcome will determine the extent of benefits Ortiz is entitled to and the responsibility of the named defendants.
The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board granted reconsideration, rescinded the initial denial of benefits, and found that the applicant sustained industrial injury. The Board determined that the applicant, a civil engineer who was provided a vehicle and paid for travel time, was acting within the course and scope of employment at the time of his vehicle collision, despite being found traveling in the opposite direction of his commute. The case was returned to the trial level for further proceedings.
This case involves a worker's compensation claim where the employer sought a third-party credit against the applicant's settlement. The Appeals Board amended the findings to attribute 5% of the fault to the applicant and 95% to the employer's employees. Despite the applicant's settlement of $26,000, the employer was denied credit because their 95% fault ($24,700) exceeded the applicant's net recovery ($17,500). The Board affirmed the WCJ's decision that the employer's contribution based on their fault exceeded the credit amount, thus preventing a credit for future benefits.
This Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) decision denies the applicant's petition for reconsideration. The WCAB adopted the WCJ's report, finding the applicant failed to prove causation for her claimed industrial injury by a preponderance of the evidence. Although the WCAB can amend pleadings to conform to proof, the applicant still bears the burden of proof. Additionally, the applicant's attorney was admonished for citing evidence not admitted into the record.
The Appeals Board clarified that for Labor Code section 4656(c)(1) purposes, the commencement of temporary disability payments is the date the employer first mails a temporary disability indemnity check, not when EDD benefits begin. Furthermore, EDD benefits, even if reimbursed by the employer, do not count towards the 104-week cap on temporary disability payments. Consequently, the employer's liability for further temporary disability payments extends from the date of the first actual indemnity payment until October 6, 2007.
Apply these legal strategies instantly. CompFox helps you find decisions, analyze reports, and draft pleadings in minutes.