For two years, RPNA’s Nick Roxborough has been leading the fight against the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s (DWC) underground rule-making, which is impacting hundreds of QMEs in California. He recently filed an amended complaint with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, adding a new allegation that the DWC used underground rules relating to time spent on medical research as a basis to deny reappointment…
In RPNA’s case (Howard v DIR), LA County Superior Court Judge James Chelfant opined that the Division of Workers’ Compensation relied on unenforceable underground regulations when it denied applications for reappointment from two QMEs and unreasonably delayed hearings when the doctors objected. According to Nick Roxborough, the judge’s decision means the division “can’t continue to…
RPNA continues to fight against unlawful WC side agreements. Nick Roxborough recently finished hearings before a DOI administrative law judge in the case Davidson Hotel v. Travelers. Once again, another carrier is attempting to illegally enforce the terms of its unfiled workers’ compensation side agreements, subjecting employers to out-of-state arbitrations, over collateralization, and overpayment for coverage due to poor claims handling. RPNA…
The California legislature was certainly busy last year, resulting in a number of new and significant employment laws effective January 1, 2018. Employers should take note of the following key developments and review their policies and practices—preferably with counsel—to ensure they are in compliance and limit their potential exposure.
A leading insurance trade journal, Workers’ Comp Executive, has named RPNA’s Nick Roxborough and his work involving employer battles against insurance carriers—in this instance, Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary Applied Underwriters—as the No. 1 story in 2017. Roxborough was identified as one of two attorneys “leading the fight in cases against Applied.” RPNA is proud…
RPNA’s suit against the Department of Industrial Relations (Howard v DIR) was yesterday’s WorkCompCentral’s top story, and is being followed by the entire California QME community, as well as various governmental entities. Central to this continuing story is the issue of jurisdiction over the case, which is being challenged by Nicholas Roxborough on behalf of…
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) just issued a ruling that is expected to speed up the resolution of many cases currently against Applied Underwriters. These cases address the same issues that the CDI had ruled on more than a year ago, which left in place the precedential decision in the Shasta Linen case and…
Two qualified medical evaluators (QMEs) who where challenging the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s decision not to renew their certifications were recently granted a trial on February 6, 2018. At that time, the Los Angeles Superior Court is expected to rule on whether or not the Division is using “underground regulations” to justify denying recertification to…
RPNA’s camaraderie and winning culture was the focus of a feature article recently profiled in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals, California’s largest legal news provider. The article talks about the early stages of RPNA, which was built upon the foundation of friendship and earned a reputation for handling complex issues employers face with their insurance providers.
Worker’s compensation insurance is a legal necessity for most employers in California. The purpose of worker’s comp insurance is to provide a safety net for workers if they are injured on the job. There is no cost to workers to file a claim and the insurance must be provided and paid for by the employer.…