Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board rules applicant is permanently and totally disabled

• Posted By: Harvey Brown
• May 1, 2019

This is a writ denied case

This is a very significant case for workers’ compensation principles.

The applicant sustained an injury to her neck, lower back, right shoulder, psyche and headaches in 2007. The applicant was originally  awarded a 57 per cent permanent disability. The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) rescinded the award on petition for reconsideration and returned the case to the trial level to develop the record pursuant to Oglivie. They wanted the record developed with vocational evidence of the applicant’s future earning capacity.

The parties agreed on a vocational expert. The vocational expert determined the applicant lost all earning capacity. The psychiatric Qualified Medical Examiner determined the applicant was unable to return to the open labor market based on a Global Assessment of Function test (GAF).

The Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) determined the applicant had a 89% disability using the GAF in psychiatry. The WCJ combined this with a 27 % orthopedic disability and came up with an overall rating of 92% according to the AMA guides. However, based on vocational expert evidence there was substantial evidence to award the applicant 100 per cent, which the WCJ did.

The defendant filed a petition for reconsideration and the WCAB agreed with the WCJ. There was substantial evidence by the psychiatrist and vocational expert to award 100 per cent disability.

Case: International Capital Group v WCAB (Walter)

Case:

• Posted In: Disability