Injury

• Author: David L. Pollak/Roger A. Tolman, Jr./Monika R. Reyes
• Pages: 201-256

INJURY

4-1

CHAPTER 4

INJURY

I. DEFINITIONS

§4:01 “Injury” — The Governing Event

§4:02 Psychiatric Injury

§4:03 Post-Notice of Termination Claims

§4:04 Injury to Health Care Worker From Preventative Care

§4:05 Injury Without Disability — Piedemonte

§4:06 Importance of Def‌inition of Injury

II. “DATE” AND/OR “TIME” OF INJURY

§4:10 Generally

§4:10.1 Date of Injury for Cumulative Trauma Claims = Date of Knowledge and Disability

§4:11 Statute of Limitations

§4:12 Compensation Rate

§4:13 Death Benef‌its

§4:14 Two or More Injuries: One Exposure — Steele

§4:15 90-Day Presumption

III. HARMPRODUCING INCIDENT OR EXPOSURE

§4:20 Harmful Event — Artif‌icial Members, Eyeglasses, Etc.

§4:21 Bodily or Emotional Impact Required

§4:22 Injury Need Not Be “Accident”

§4:23 Normal Bodily Movement or Non-Industrial Seizure/Idiopathic Cause — Gideon

IV. BURDEN OF PROOF

§4:30 Occurrence of Incident

§4:31 Question of Law — Lundberg

§4:32 Presumptive Injuries — Mysterious Circumstances

V. INDUSTRIALLYCAUSED AGGRAVATIONS

A. General Points

§4:40 Take Employee “As-Is”

§4:41 “Aggravation” or “Exacerbation” — New Injury or Recurrence of Old

§4:42 Apportionment

B. Specif‌ic Injuries

§4:50 Back Injuries

§4:51 Heart Injuries

§4:52 Psychiatric Injuries — Baker

§4:53 Other Conditions

INJURY

California Workers’ Compensation 4-2

VI. POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER PRESUMPTIONS

§4:60 Presumption of Work Injury

§4:61 Peace Off‌icer and Firef‌ighter Cancer Presumption

§4:62 Anti-Attribution Clause — Presumption Not Rebutted by Pre-Existing Disease

§4:63 Anti-Attribution Clause Applies to Apportionment of Permanent Disability

§4:64 Rebutting Presumption Without Anti-Attribution Clause

§4:65 Effect of Retirement

§4:66 Meaning of “Heart Trouble” — Muznik

§4:67 Meaning of “Hernia”

§4:67.1 Meaning of “Pneumonia ”

§4:68 Off‌icers and Conditions Covered

§4:69 No LC §4663 Apportionment of PD in Any Presumptive Case

§4:70 Constitutionality and Interpretation

§4:71 Effect of Statute of Limitations and Time Limits for Extension of Presumption

§4:72 Effect of Multiple Employers on Qualifying for, or Extension of Presumption

VII. CUMULATIVE INJURY

§4:80 Origins and Background — Beveridge

§4:81 Anti-Merger Legislation

§4:82 The Burris Case

§4:83 Possible Horrors

§4:84 Enlightened Avoidance

§4:85 The Hooker Case

§4:86 Combining Disabilities — Benson Overturns Wilkinson

§4:87 Summary: “Cumulative Injury” Alive and Well

VIII. OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

§4:100 Insidious Disease Process — Har vey

§4:101 Flu, Colds, and COVID-19

IX. PROCEDURES: CUMULATIVE INJURY AND OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

A. General Points

§4:110 Background: The Pedroza Case — Election Right

§4:111 Statutory Basis for Election Right

§4:112 1977 Revision

§4:113 The Death Case CT — Same as Inter Vivos CT

§4:114 CT Limitation Applies to Multiple Carriers for Single Employer

§4:115 Effect of Anti-Merger Legislation on Period of Employment — Flesher

§4:116 Parts of the Body Affected — Hurley; Steele

B. Employment Periods Covered by LC §5500.5

§4:130 Current One-Year Limit

§4:131 Last Year of Secured Employment

§4:132 Effect of Self-Employment — Scheff‌ler

§4:133 The Last Year of Injurious Exposure (and Latency Periods)

§4:134 Injurious Exposure — Conf‌lict in Medical Opinion

§4:135 The Calendar Year From Last Exposure

§4:136 Board Cannot Defer Finding Responsible Years

§4:137 Peace Off‌icer Presumption Cases

X. CUMULATIVE INJURY: EMPLOYEE’S RIGHT OF ELECTION

§4:150 General

§4:151 Single Employer — Multiple Carriers: Schrimpf

§4:152 Participation by Non-Elected Defendants

§4:153 Withdrawal From Election

§4:154 Rejection of Election — Schrimpf

INJURY

4-3 Injury

XI. APPLICATION OF LC §5500.5 TO MULTIPLE INJURY CLAIMS

§4:160 Single Employer — “Merger” Per Flesher

§4:161 Lynch-Beezley Orders

§4:162 Election Right? (Not Under LC §5500.5)

XII. CONTRIBUTION  CUMULATIVE INJURY/MULTIPLE INJURIES

§4:170 Time Limits

§4:171 Arbitration of Contribution Issue

§4:172 Pro Tanto Contribution — Not Mandatory

§4:173 Adjustment Encouraged

§4:174 Right to Full Hearing

§4:175 Rights Against Uninsured or Insolvent Employers/Carriers

§4:176 Effect of Settlement on Contribution

§4:177 De Novo Determination in Contribution Proceedings

XIII. ASBESTOSIS

§4:190 The Birth and Death of the Asbestos Workers’ Account

§4:191 AWA Lien Claims

§4:192 Processing Asbestos Cases

§4:193 Effect on Venue and Reassignment

§4:194 Assignment Irrespective of Venue

§4:195 Def‌initions

§4:196 Processing Problems

§4:197 Pre-LC §5500.5 Atmosphere

§4:198 Proof Problems — Barry

§4:199 Limitations