Coleman, Chavez & Associates LLP

Did you attend the Macro-Pro & Friends Conference on 3/12/20? CCA did! We enjoyed meeting everyone at our booth and listening to Carl Van provide tips on managing claims. We'll see you at the next conference!

Congratulations to attorney Melanie Bronny and her husband Erik Coffman!!!

CCA is excited to welcome back attorney Christina Lopez. Christina rejoined our Bay Area office this month. She has been specializing in Workers' Compensation since 2008 and has experience in both applicant and defense work. Welcome back Christina!

CCA Case Law Update: The WCAB issued an en banc decision on Wednesday in the case of Brower v. David Jones Construction. Where the applicant had exhausted the 104 weeks of allowable temporary disability indemnity payments but was not yet permanent and stationary, and where the applicant was subsequently declared to be permanently totally disabled, the Appeals Board held: 1. When a defendant stops paying temporary disability indemnity pursuant to section 4656(c) before an inju...red worker is determined to be permanent and stationary, the defendant shall commence paying permanent disability indemnity based on a reasonable estimate of the injured worker’s ultimate level of permanent disability. 2. When an injured worker who is receiving permanent partial disability payments pursuant to section 4650(b)(1) becomes permanent and stationary and is determined to be permanently totally disabled, the defendant shall pay permanent total disability indemnity retroactive to the date its statutory obligation to pay temporary disability indemnity terminated. 3. COLAs begin on the first day in January after an injured worker becomes entitled to receive permanent disability indemnity pursuant to sections 4650(b)(1) or (b)(2).This means the COLA can be applied on a date earlier than the P&S date.

CCA Case Law Update: The WCAB issued a panel decision in Weilmann v. United Temporary Service, holding that UR decisions are invalid if the UR doctor either did not sign the decision and/or did not review the AME reports. This gives applicant attorneys another way to invalidate UR determinations. In last month’s en banc Dubon case, the WCAB ruled that when UR is invalid, medical necessity is not subject to IMR. This rule would now apply to unsigned UR determinations, leaving medical necessity up to the WCAB.

CCA is excited to announce we are opening an office in Los Angeles! Stay tuned for further details as they develop.

CCA Case Law Update: On Wednesday, 4/2/14, the WCAB issued an en banc decision in the case of Navarro v. City of Montebello. The decision held that Rule 35.5(e) is invalid, because nothing in the Labor Code requires an injured worker to return to the same PQME for a subsequent claim of injury, even when the subsequent claim is for the same body part. This appears to be a decision that, if upheld, will complicate records as opposed to clarifying them and as such curative Legislative action is possible.

CCA Law also welcomes attorney Cheryl Barnard to our Roseville office. Cheryl has extensive experience in Workers' Compensation, having practiced in both Michigan and California, as well as having represented injured workers previously.

Please join CCA law in welcoming attorney Hetal Naik, who joined the Roseville office in 2013. Hetal has been practicing Workers' Compensation since 2009 and is a great addition to our firm. http://www.cca-law.com/inner_images/bio_naik.jpg

CCA Law is proud to announce that three of our attorneys have passed the Certified Specialization examination! Congratulations to Sara Skolnik, Jeff Lanterman, and Harjot Lasher!

We also recently welcomed attorney Justin Carter to our Roseville office. Native to the Sacramento area, Justin traveled the world after college, and then returned to practice Workers' Compensation back in Northern California. http://www.cca-law.com/inner_images/bio_carter.jpg

CCA Law also welcomes attorney Ryan Sutherland, who joined our Bay Area office in 2013. In addition to his Workers' Compensation experience, Ryan previously worked as a Deputy District Attorney and conducted 16 jury trials. We are excited to have him join our firm! http://www.cca-law.com/inner_images/bio_sutherland.jpg

Please join CAA Law in a belated welcome to attorney Craig Kingscott. Craig has been a Certified Specialist since 1995 and joined our Roseville office in 2013.