Case Law Database

BRIGETTE LEONARD vs. SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Appeals Board denied the defendant's petition for reconsideration, upholding the finding that the applicant sustained a catastrophic injury under Labor Code section 4660.1(c)(2)(B). While rejecting the WCJ's reliance on psychiatric injury to deem the physical injury catastrophic, the Board found sufficient independent evidence. Applicant's industrial thyroid cancer, requiring lifelong treatment including thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine, alongside GERD and hypertension, supports the catastrophic designation. This designation allows for an increased impairment rating for her psychiatric disability.