Monica Bernasani vs. International Filing Company, U.S. Fire Insurance Company, Crum & Forster
This case involves Monica Bernasani's workers' compensation claim against International Filing Company for cumulative trauma injury. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) found Bernasani permanently totally disabled due to industrial injuries to her back, neck, shoulders, wrists, knees, psyche, headaches, weight gain, hypertension, and gastrointestinal system, awarding lifetime benefits. The defendant appealed, arguing the Agreed Medical Examiner's (AME) opinion was insufficient to support total disability and that a vocational report by Enrique Vega was improperly admitted. The Appeals Board denied the defendant's petition, affirming the ALJ's decision and finding the vocational report admissible due to the defendant's waiver of objection. The Board found substantial medical and vocational evidence supported the finding of permanent total disability.