Farnsworth Law Group

California Applicants' Attorneys Association: "Applicants' Attorneys Association: "Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Friday, June 5 which contains new provisions that relate to workers’ compensation and extend deadlines for a period of 60 days in Labor Code sections 5909 and 5315. The order essentially extends the time for judges to make their trial decisions and for the WCAB commissioners to act on Petitions for Reconsideration." To read the executive order in full, click below #workerscompensation

California Applicants' Attorneys Association: "The Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) and Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) announced today they have updated certain forms to include a new body part code specific to injuries related to COVID-19 to properly allow for identifying said injuries. ... The updated forms now include the new body part code - "900" - for filing claims related to COVID-19. Below are the forms that have been updated: Document Cover Sheet Application for Adjudication of Claim Compromise and Release Stipulations with Request for Award (for injury on or after 1/1/2013) The updated forms are now available on the DWC website and will be made available for e-filers beginning May, 23, 2020. To view the announcement in full, click on the link below #workerscomp #workinjury #workerscompensation

CAAA Applauds Governor Newsom for Enacting Executive Order to Protect Essential Workers. California Applicants' Attorneys Association, whose members represent Californians who get injured at work, released the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of an executive order today that helps protect frontline workers who contract COVID-19 on the job: We applaud Governor Newsom for enacting an executive order to ensure essential workers are protected un...der California’s workers’ compensation system should they contract COVID-19 on the job. Millions of workers across California are battling on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, risking their lives simply by going to work. These heroes deserve to know they’ll be protected and have the safety net of workers’ compensation to take care of their medical needs if they get infected with the coronavirus. Our workers’ compensation system might be the only remedy for some of these workers who may not have employer-sponsored health insurance or may not have a viable health plan that would cover such a disease without leaving them bankrupt. Ensuring medical treatment, disability indemnity and death benefits are covered for all essential workers is simply the right thing to do. This order provides immediate relief to all essential workers who have been or will be diagnosed with COVID-19 during the covered period and removes a tremendous amount of doubt in workers' minds about medical treatment and supplemental income should they become ill. We thank Governor Newsom for supporting our frontline heroes and ensuring that all essential employees who contract COVID-19 while on the job can get fast and effective health care through no expense of their own. Governor Newsom’s executive order enacts a rebuttable presumption that presumes a worker filing a workers’ compensation claim for COVID-19 contracted the disease while on the job. The order covers all essential service workers and will be applied retroactively beginning March 19, 2020, the date of Governor Newsom’s first shelter-in-place order, expiring 60 days from today. Workers’ compensation benefits covered under the order include temporary disability for up to 2 years, permanent disability benefits for any long-term/permanent injuries or disability caused by COVID-19, and death benefits including $10,000 in funeral expenses and anywhere between 120,000 to $250,000 or more (depending on number of minor dependents at time of death). The order also shortens the time employers have to accept claims from 90 days to 30 days, significantly expediting the processing of benefits for sick workers."

California Applicants' Attorneys Association "As many stay-at-home orders around the state have been extended with some easing of restrictions for certain types of employees and social activities, there have been some positive moves to protect frontline workers as they continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Assemblymembers Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) and Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) recently amended Assembly Bill 664 to create a presumption for health workers and fir...st responders such as police and firefighters. Should they become infected with COVID-19, it would be presumed that they contracted the virus while on the job, entitling them to full workers’ compensation benefits. A second bill, Senate Bill 1159 by Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), would create a rebuttable presumption for a larger group of critical workers, though that group has yet to be clearly defined. The bill would still allow for employers to dispute that their employees contracted the coronavirus at work, but it’s a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) and the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) have continued to initiate emergency measures with the hope of keeping the system functional and moving cases forward. The DWC and WCAB announced last week that starting today, May 4, they’re expanding their hearing schedule to include trials via the individually assigned judges’ conference lines that were put into effect after several issues arose with using CourtCall. The WCAB also issued an emergency en banc order suspending the 20-day requirement for filing documentary trial exhibits, coming on the heals of an en banc order issued April 23 allowing for limited filing of documents via email directly to the Appeals Board and DWC district offices. As of April 16, California workers had filed 1,527 COVID-19-related claims, according to the Department of Industrial Relations. While the fate of these claims remains uncertain, the above-mentioned efforts offer signs of hope that our essential workers will be protected should they contract COVID-19 on the job. We certainly hope so." #workerscompensation #workcomp #workinjury

How Does Workers Comp for Truck Drivers Work? Truck driving is a massive business in the US, and it is expanding with time. According to the American Trucking Association, around 3.5 million individuals are working as truck drivers nationwide. But it is risky, more than you think. It also has a high mortality rate compared to other professions. This is the reason employees’ compensation is essential for trucking business more than any other professionals. However, the employ...ee needs to provide evidence of the injuries that they sustained because of driving; they can hire a workers’ comp attorney San Francisco. Here are the things you need to know about the compensation law for drivers. #workerscompensation #workinjury