Before flipping the calendar to 2025, the Law Offices of Bradford and Barthel would like to take a look back at some of the best blog posts from 2024.
In 2024, B&B’s bloggers posted about everything from A to Z, ranging from apportionment to zealous advocacy letters. Here is a look back at the firm’s top 10 posts from 2024 that are definitely worth revisiting:
BEST REMEDY FOR OTOC IS REMOVAL, NOT RECONSIDERATION
By John P. Kamin and Louis Larres
A petition for reconsideration is an inappropriate remedy to a judge’s order taking a matter off-calendar, according to a new significant panel decision from the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
Click here to see blog article
TICKET TO RIDE: TRANSPORTATION FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS
By Michael P. Burns
In the workers’ compensation system, insurers are often asked to provide transportation for injured workers to attend medical appointments. The necessity for transportation frequently results in litigation at the WCAB, largely due to confusion regarding how to respond to these requests. This article discusses the basis for evaluating transportation requests from an insurer’s perspective.
Click here to see blog article
THE INSIDE SCOOP: HOW A WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BILL BECOMES LAW IN CALIFORNIA
By Michael D. Peabody
Have you ever wondered how a workers’ compensation bill transforms from a mere idea into the law of the land in California? The process is intricate, with various steps and many players, each with their own interests and influences.
Click here to see blog article
SINCE YOU ASKED: PREPARING FOR A DOCTOR DEPOSITION
By Donald R. Barthel
Discovery with med-legal experts can dictate the direction of a case, which makes understanding doctor deposition strategy an essential tool for attorneys and practitioners to have. A doctor’s deposition is often a pivotal discovery tool that can make or break a case.
Click here to see blog article
BEST PRACTICES FOR MSCS
By Zane P. Uribarri
What do you HAVE to do before a MSC, and what SHOULD you do before a MSC? The best advice is advice we have all heard for many, many years: don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
Click here to see blog article
VALLEY FEVER: ON THE RISE IN CALIFORNIA
By Mikhail N. Gomez
What is Valley Fever? How does one contract this disease? And from a California workers’ compensation perspective, how does one prove or disprove that Valley Fever was contracted at the job?
Click here to see blog article
PANEL DECISION: TRUCKER’S CLAIM BARRED BY LC 3600(a)(8)
By John P. Kamin
An applicant’s claim can be barred if they are guilty of a criminal charge that was punishable by a “fine or imprisonment in the county jail,” according to a 2022 panel decision interpreting Labor Code section 3600(a)(8).
Click here to see blog article
MALINGERING: A CONVERSATION WITH DR. RON HEREDIA
By Kimberly R. Wagner and Paige Harrison
One of the most nebulous, omnipresent topics which can loom over a worker’s compensation claim is the concept of whether an injured worker is being forthright and how that is to be assessed.
Click here to see blog article
UTILIZATION REVIEW: PROCESS, PROCEDURES, AND TIMELINES
By Jessica E. Bair
The workers’ compensation system is designed to be a benefit delivery system to make the injured worker “whole” from their work-related injury, which includes medical treatment. Pursuant to Labor Code section 4600, medical treatment that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the injury shall be provided by the employer. This article examines the basic standards for deciding medical treatment disputes in the California workers’ compensation system.
Click here to see blog article
SUBPOENAING OUT-OF-STATE RECORDS: LIMITATIONS AND ALTERNATIVES
By Michael P. Burns
One of the most powerful tools in a defense attorney or claims examiner’s arsenal is the subpoena for production of records. The process for enforcing a California subpoena outside of the state is complex and expensive.
Click here to see blog article
Got a question about workers’ compensation defense issues? Feel free to contact John P. Kamin. Mr. Kamin is a workers’ compensation defense attorney and partner at Bradford & Barthel’s Woodland Hills location, where he monitors the recent legislative affairs as the firm’s Director of the Editorial Board. Mr. Kamin previously worked as a journalist for WorkCompCentral, where he reported on work-related injuries in all 50 states. Please feel free to contact John at jkamin@bradfordbarthel.com or at (818) 654-0411.
Viewing this website does not form an attorney/client relationship between you and Bradford & Barthel, LLP or any of its attorneys. This website is for informational purposes only and does not contain legal advice. Please do not act or refrain from acting based on anything you read on this site. This document is not a substitute for legal advice and may not address every factual scenario. If you have a legal question, we encourage you to contact your favorite Bradford & Barthel, LLP attorney to discuss the legal issues applicable to your unique case. No website is entirely secure, so please be cautious with information provided through the contact form or email. Do not assume confidentiality exists in anything you send through this website or email, until an attorney/client relationship is formed.