Now that the California Supreme Court has resolved the Salas Dilemma by allowing an undocumented worker's discrimination claim to proceed (while curtailing available damages), the employer in the case sounded a clarion call of its own by filing a Petition for Writ of Certiorari seeking U.S. Supreme Court review. However, on December 8, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari...read more.

In Jovel v. Sisters of the Holy Names, 2014 Cal. Wrk. Comp. P.D. LEXIS --, the WCAB panel affirmed the WCJ's finding that the defendant's utilization review non-certification of the treating physician's request for authorization to perform arthroscopic knee surgery to treat the applicant's right knee injury "was defective" because certain documentation was not provided to the UR reviewer. The WCAB further held that the requested knee surgery and related items were supported by substantial medical evidence and, consequently, there was no basis for returning the matter to UR as the WCJ had ordered...read more.

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has determined the 2015 assessments that workers' compensation insurers are required to collect from policyholders to cover the budget of the state Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) and five related programs set up by state lawmakers. The assessments and surcharges cover the Workers' Compensation Administration Revolving Fund; the Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust (UEBT) Fund; the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust (SIBT) Fund; the Occupational Safety...read more.