The following are recent noteworthy panel decisions issued by the California Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. If you would like a copy of any of these decisions, please logon to your web center account and post a comment to this blog with your request, or email me directly. If you haven't registered at this site yet, you must do so before you can logon to post a comment. Registration at our web center is free.

Alexander Houston v. Western Security, Inc.

Sanctions. WCAB held that applicant’s attorney who sought a walk-thru order for interim attorney's fees from a second judge when they were denied by the initial judge, and who didn't tell the second judge about the prior denial of attorney's fees, was contrary to Rule 10280(h); WCAB gave notice of intention to impose sanctions against applicant's attorney.

Stephen Herring v. Stanford University

Cumulative Trauma; Date of Injury. WCAB found that the one-year Labor Code Sec. 5500.5 liability period regarding the applicant's cumulative injury to be the one year preceding June 13, 2003, the date that the physician first opined that applicant's injury was caused by cumulative trauma and the date the applicant filed an application for adjudication of claim alleging a cumulative trauma injury; therefore, the carriers that insured the employer during the one-year period preceding June 13, 2003, were liable.

Bernice Carrigan v. Pomona Unified School District

Temporary Disability; Five-Year Jurisdictional Limitation. WCAB held that since there was no final adjudication or disposition of the issues to close the case, the period of temporary disability did not have to commence within the five-year period from the date of injury and continue uninterrupted beyond the five years; WCAB held award of temporary disability was appropriate.