WorkCompAcademy | Weekly News

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: W.C. Exclusivity Ends Janitor's Intentional Injury at School Case. Home Depot Settles Overnight Overtime Wages Case for $3.35M. Court of Appeal Declines to Apply Federal FEHA Attorney Fee Scrutiny. SoCal Hospice Operators Arrested for $3.8M Fraud. Munir Uwaydah Entity Loses $2.25M Legal Malpract...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: $147M Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson in SoCal Antitrust Case. No Retroactive Application for PAGA One Year Statute of Limitations. San Diego Dermatologist Faces 22 Charges for $1.3M Fraud. Chula Vista Man Pleads Guilty in $51M DME Kickback Scheme. Woman Arrested for Staged Carjacking and Insu...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB (En Banc) Limits Replacement QME Process. Admitting Evidence Not Listed at MSC Is Not "Harmless Error". Court Finds United Indian Health Immune From WCAB Jurisdiction. PAGA Action Prevailing Employer May Not Recover Costs From LWDA. Ninth Circuit Upholds AB 5 Against Independent Truckers' C...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: DOI For Coverage Mandatory Arbitration is Defined by LC 5412. Jury Trial Rights Attach to Claim for Unruh Civil Rights Act Damages. Six Month Delay in Requesting Arbitration Constitutes "Waiver". Public Insurance Adjusters Face Deceptive Practices Allegations. Fresno Health System to Pay $31.5 M...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Upholds Managing Partner's Waiver of Comp Benefits. Court of Appeal Limits Exceptions to Going and Coming Rule. California FAA Preemption Battle Continues in Trial Courts. Medical Clinic Operator Admits Physician Identity Theft. California Legislators Take Steps to Clean Up "Rehab Riviera"....

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Injured LAPD Officer Pursues FEHA Claim for Subrosa Investigation. "Death Knell Doctrine" Does Not Support Class Action Appeal. Attorneys and Others Charged in $14.5M Unlawful WC Referral Fraud. Amazon Driver Staged Robbery for Fraudulent Work Comp Claim. Fresno County Farmer Sentenced for Insur...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Major TPA Faces Challenge by Excess Carrier after $34.5M Verdict. State Farm, Farmers and 25 Top California Carriers Sued for "Collusion". SCOTUS Shifts Burden of Proof to Employers in ERISA Litigation. Employee Waiver of Meal Breaks for 6 hour Shifts Are Valid. PAGA One Year Statute of Limitati...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Denied Commutation of 76% PD Award to Pay Bills. Exclusive Remedy Applies if Contracting for 52+ Hour Job. Community Colleges Face Massive "Pell Runner" Financial Aid Fraud. Accounting Chief at Girardi Keese Law Firm to Serve 10 Years. Labor Alliance Officers Sentenced For WC and Pension Fr...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Applies Amended L.C. 4707(c) Retroactively. Filing Claim in Employers' Bankruptcy Not Required for UEBTF Benefits. L.A. Judge Disqualified Post Trial and $10M FEHA Verdict Reversed. Critic of Medi-Cal Crisis Launches SoCal Fraud and Corruption Task Force. DWC Releases 2024 Independent Medic...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Cigna Faces Class Action for Use of PxDx Algorithm to Deny Claims. Legal Aid Lawsuit Forces EDD to Fix Broken UI Notification System. UIM Arbitration is Not a "Civil Action" Protected by Covid Rules. Old Arbitration Agreements Need Clear Wording After Viking River. After Supreme Ct. Remand, CSU...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Rules UR Denial Needs Adequate Medical History Records. Workers' Comp Claim Does Not Toll FEHA Statute of Limitations. SoCal Medical Group to Pay $62M to Settle False Claims Lawsuit. Bay Area Tow Truck Auto Fraud Conspiracies - Out of Control. Jury Convicts San Diego Attorney for Fraud Sche...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Outlines Ground Rules for WCJ Disqualification. Plaintiff's Attorney Disqualified for Violation of State Bar Rule 4.4. Activision Blizzard CEO Lawsuit Claims Defamatory Media Collusion. Appeal Reverses 33 out of 37 Counts Against Attorney Jon Woods. Sham Health Insurance Plan Resolves AG Cl...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: LC 3365.4 Barred Fatally Injured School Volunteer Survivors' Lawsuit. Cooperation & Assistance of Insured Clause Defends $9M Verdict. Failure to Oppose Summary Judgment is Good Cause to Grant it. Three Face Charges for Fraudulent LA Wildfire Benefit Claims. SafeLite Resolves IFPA Auto Insurance...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Court of Appeal Clarifies Punch Press Exception to Exclusive Remedy. Top Court Says Maritime Law Overrides WC Exclusive Remedy. Buena Park Restaurant Faces $1.1M Wage Theft Penalties. Newsom Orders State Workers to Return to the Office. DWC Provides New Update on Virtual Courtroom Transition. DW...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Supreme Court Rules IDL Pay Not Included in S&W Penalty. California Continues to Limit the SCOTUS Viking River Case. Employer Cannot Use Choice-of-Law Provisions to Avoid EFAA. Amity In-Home Care Cited $2.3M for Caregiver Misclassification. CSLB Walnut Creek Sting Leads to 13 Unlicensed Contract...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Panel Says WCJ Self Destruct Orders are "Disfavored". Agreement Requires Plaintiff to Initiate Arbitration after Court Order. Task Force Uncovers Large-Scale Organized Insurance Fraud Ring. Blue Cross Sues L.A. "Insurance Advocate" for $7.6M Fraud. Judge Limits New California Anti "Pay-for-...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Grants Removal to Avoid Undue Burden on Adjuster. SoCal Man Pleads Guilty to $17M Hospice Fraud. Couple Plead Guilty to Home Health Care Fraud. Legislature Seeks to Limit Misleading AI Healthcare. CDI to Assess Carriers $1B for FAIR Plan Bailout After LA Fires. DIR Proposes to Adopt New ACO...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Unless Open & Obvious, Injured Worker Must Request Accommodations. Motion to Arbitrate Needs Review of Arbitrator's Discovery Rules. Pfizer Company Resolves Kickback Case for $60M. QOL Medical Resolves Specialty Drug Kickback Case for $47M. State Farm Requests Wildfire Caused 22% Rate Increase....

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: SEIU Nurses Union to pay $6.28M for Unlawful Hospital Strike. No Tort Recovery After Employee Loses Wrongful Discharge Case. FTC Releases New Report - PBMs Markup Generics by 1000%. Cal/OSHA increases civil penalty amounts for 2025. Agenda Announced for DWC 32nd Annual Educational Conference. Re...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Orders Retroactive Application of 4903.05(c)(1) Lien Declaration. Employee Awarded Attorney Fees After Appeal of "Berman" Hearing. Imprisoned SoCal Doctor Must Forfeit All Proceeds of Fraud. Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Alleges Cedars-Sinai Conspiracy. 2024 Was Another Bad Year For US Health Car...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: FDA Continues Resisting Production of Pfizer Vaccine Documents. Legislators Propose Law to Help Finance Insurance Fire Losses. Palisades Firefighters Participate in First-of-its-Kind Cancer Study. Sutter Health to Invest $1B in AI Imaging With GE HealthCare. Dermatologicals Now Most Expensive Wo...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB to Sanction Attorney After Admonishments in 5 Cases. California Staffing Company Starts Gig Economy Legal Battle. Court Rules on FEHA Fees After Trip to Supreme Ct and Settlement. EEOC Says Wearable Technologies May Violate Employment Law. Two New Federal Laws Reduce Employer Administrative...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Supreme Court Limits ER Price Disclosure Obligations to Patients. New L.C. Whistleblower Attorney Fee Law Applies to Pending Cases. Physician Admits $3M SIBTF Fraud Naming O.C. Judge as Co-Conspirator. Ventura County Physician to Serve 2 Years for $3M Healthcare Fraud. First Pharmaceutical "Cons...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: CEO of Large Vocational Center Faces 23 Counts of SJDB Insurance Fraud. Oroville Hospital Resolves Kickbacks and False Billing Claim for $10.25M. Former Insurance Agent Arraigned in $900K Long-Term Care Fraud Scheme. Bay Area Home Health Company Owner to Serve 2 Years for Fraud. Subminimum Wage...

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph. D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Equitable Estopple Compels Arbitration With Non-Signatory Affiliated Employers. Late Arbitration Fee Penalties Not Applicable to Post Dispute Agreement. Massive Increases in Payroll Taxes Needed to Fix "Broken" UI System. Safety National Announces Winners of the 2024 Safety First Grant Program....