In May 2023, the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) published a comprehensive report on Independent Medical Reviews (IMR). Since it was put into place by California regulators, the IMR system in California has played a major role in workers’ compensation. The report from the CWCI assesses the efficacy of the state’s Independent Medical Review process. […]
A workers’ compensation claim is generally the sole remedy an injured employee has against his or her own company in California—but there are some exceptions. A serious and willful misconduct claim is a cause of action that an employee can take if they suffer an injury caused by an employer’s deliberate or egregiously reckless failure […]
Subrogation is one of the most important, complex, and least understood aspects of insurance claims. Investopedia defines subrogation simply as the general right that insurance companies have to “pursue a third party that caused an insurance loss to the insured.” At Yrulegui & Roberts, our firm has extensive experience handling a wide range of subrogation-related […]
According to a report from Insurance Journal, California regulators have uncovered an alleged seven-figure workers’ compensation fraud scheme in the Fresno area. An employer stands accused of intentionally underreporting payroll—thereby unlawfully saving itself approximately more than $100,000.00 in workers’ compensation premiums. Proper reporting of payroll is essential. Within this blog post, our Fresno workers’ compensation […]
On March 21, 2023, the Workers’ Compensation Board of Appeals (WCAB) overturned a work injury “apportionment” made by a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) in the case of Monter v. Randstad North America, Inc.. In doing so, the WCAB awarded additional workers’ compensation benefits to the claimant. The decision is instructive for employers and insurers. Here, […]
On March 22, 2023, the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) issued an En Banc ruling regarding the end of our state’s COVID-19 emergency. (Case No. MISC. NO. 268). Below, our California workers’ compensation defense lawyers highlight the essential things that you should know about the recent WCAB updated guidance regarding COVID-19 emergency workers’ compensation […]
Employers in California are legally obligated to purchase and maintain no-fault workers’ compensation insurance coverage (Labor Code § 3700). As an employer, you have certain legal obligations under our state’s workers’ compensation laws. Failure to abide by these duties could lead to a number of different legal problems. In this article, our Bakersfield workers’ compensation […]
According to a report from Insurance Journal, a Georgia business owner and another man from Atlanta have been sentenced as part of a multi-million dollar workers’ compensation fraud scheme in California. Wesley Owens and Beau Wilson both pleaded no contest to felony workers’ compensation fraud charges. Here, our Fresno workers’ compensation defense attorney discusses the […]
On April 3, 2023, National Nurses United published a press release on the call for California lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill 1156 (AB 1156). A proposed reform to our state’s workers’ compensation laws, the bill was authored by Mia Bonta (Democrat, Oakland) and it is being sponsored by California’s largest labor union for nurses (California […]
Workplace accidents happen. The State of California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) reports that 161,860 workers filed for benefits for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 2020 alone. Even an employer that follows all of the best workplace safety practices could still end up facing a workers’ compensation claim. It is crucial that employers understand […]
