by Michael P. Burns (July 31, 2026)
A recent unpublished Court of Appeal decision discussed the application of an often-misunderstood rule in workers’ compensation: The “premises line rule.” The case, Wrenne v. JA Sutherland, Inc., involved the death of an employee at…
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by Donald R. Barthel (July 21, 2026)
This is the second of a two-part article regarding workers’ compensation fraud. In Exhibit “A”, we learned about the relative rarity of classic surveillance catches and wandered into the teeth of California Insurance Code section…
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by Donald R. Barthel (July 20, 2026)
(Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series regarding workers’ compensation fraud. In Exhibit “A”, we will look at the reality of surveillance videos and highlight California Insurance Code section 1871.4 as an…
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by Donald R. Barthel (July 17, 2026)
When determining whether a psychiatric impairment may be compensable, it’s important to understand the “violent act” exception. In a previous article, “If Everything Is Catastrophic, Is Anything?“, we explored the “catastrophic injury” exception under Labor…
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by Donald R. Barthel (July 13, 2026)
WCJ’s unofficial job description: Professional evaluator of stories that all begin with, “To be honest…” How well can judges assess a witness’s credibility, and how important does the WCAB believe it is for a WCJ…
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by Donald R. Barthel (July 10, 2026)
“Sometimes the most powerful litigation tool isn’t the one everyone talks about—it’s the one everyone forgets to use.” — Don Barthel Let’s face it, every workers’ compensation professional is practically drowning in alphabet soup. We…
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by Donald R. Barthel (July 9, 2026)
Understanding the “Catastrophic” Exception for Post-2013 Psych Claims “Psyche claims are where medicine, law, and human nature all walk into the same courtroom—and only one of them leaves making perfect sense.” — Don Barthel Back…
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by John P. Kamin (July 8, 2026)
The recent departure of Employment Development Department (EDD) employees from their formerly-leased office spaces at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board is already impacting and delaying settlements at some, but not all boards. As we previously…
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by Donald R. Barthel (July 7, 2026)
“A narrowly-tailored subpoena shows sound judgment. An overbroad one may have everyone questioning yours.” – Dr. Psyche O’Logist An applicant pursuing a psyche claim in the California workers’ compensation system has several tools to severely…
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by John P. Kamin (June 10, 2026)
California lawmakers are considering a new bill that would make it more difficult to file cumulative trauma claims in California. State Sen. Laura Richardson (D – San Pedro) introduced Senate Bill 795, which would place…
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