Author: SRTK Shareholders

California Division of Workers’ Compensation Copy Service Price Schedule Amendment Gets Hearing Date

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has set a public hearing for Monday, August 30th, 2021, at 10:00am, to amend the Copy Service Price Schedule. The proposed changes stand to significantly increase costs for medical-legal reports.

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Join Joanne Thomas for “Obtain Legally. Leverage Wisely.” as part of the Worker’s Compensation Insitute (WCI) Annual Conference

SRTK Shareholder Joanne Thomas will speak as part of the panel “Obtain Legally, Leverage Wisely: Investigation of Claims, 2021 and Beyond” on Tuesday, December 14th, 10:00AM – 11:00AM Eastern. The panel will cover tricks of the trade, as well as potential pitfalls in evidence gathering, as well as strategies for presenting surveillance to medical providers and using evidence in depositions to defend claims.

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Kathleen Roberts Earns Take Nothing In Trucker Case Alleging Psychiatric Injury Over Epithet

Kathleen Roberts, Managing Shareholder of SRTK’s San Jose office, recently earned a take nothing in a case involving a trucker who claimed a psychiatric injury following an incident involving an alleged racial slur. The claimant sought an estimated $40,000 in retroactive TTD over 18 months, and would have included an unknown percentage of PD, which had not yet been evaluated.

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SRTK Celebrates 42 years!

Today is our 42nd anniversary of being California’s leading workers’ compensation defense firm. Thank you to our clients and team members for your continued partnership, especially this past year!

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SRTK Is a proud sponsor of AWCP’s Virtual Mini Conference and Wine Tasting, July 29

SRTK is proud to present the Association of Workers’ Compensation Professionals (AWCP)’s virtual psych conference “Brian & Idea!” to be held July 29th, with a wine tasting event to follow.

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David Chun Joins AgSafe Panel Discussing COVID-19 Long Haulers, Return To Work Considerations

SRTK Shareholder David Chun will be featured as a speaker as part of a panel discussion on return-to-work considerations for COVID-19 long-haulers, to be held Wednesday, June 23rd, from 9:00am to 10:30am PDT. Join Dave and other industry experts for an in-depth discussion of the complex issues surrounding individuals with long-term symptoms resulting from coronavirus infections.

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Harbiks Garabedi Named To 2021’s Super Lawyers Rising Stars

Harbiks Garabedi, of SRTK’s Woodland Hills office, was recently named to Thomson Reuters 2021 Southern California list of Super Lawyers “Rising Stars.” The list recognizes the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state, across more than 70 practice areas, who are either under 40 or have been practicing for less than 10 years.

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Join SRTK For A Virtual BBQ Workshop In Anticipation Of Father’s Day & July 4th!

SRTK is pleased to invite you to a virtual cookout event, sharing ideas, tips and tricks for getting your grill game on point for Father’s Day and July 4th! Get your barbecue on and join us, along with DentalWorks USA, EWC Conference, and Macro-Pro for this special lunchtime get-together with your workers’ compensation colleagues!

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California Legislature Compels Study On Workers’ Compensation Delays And Care Access Issues In Medical Provider Networks

The study, to be delivered no later than January 1, 2023, must compare data for injury claims in which workers were treated by a medical provider network (MPN) with the same data for those treated by doctors not part of an MPN.

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Aaron Hemmings Quoted In Business Insurance Article on Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedule Changes

SRTK Shareholder Aaron Hemmings was recently quoted in Andrea Childers’ Business Insurance article “Fee schedule changes could cost Calif. comp system $270M.” In the article, Angela discusses the potential impact of the new medical-legal fee schedule and regulations, which took effect on April 1, 2021.

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SRTK Proudly Presents “Understanding Knee Injuries: The Role of Physical Therapy in Work Comp,” A Free National Worker’s Compensation Webinar

SRTK is proud to join MKCM in sponsoring WorkCompCentral’s national webinar “Understanding Knee Injuries: The Role of Physical Therapy in Work Comp.” This essential webinar on workers’ compensation will provide insight into one of the most injured body parts, and how understanding these injuries can lead to better claims management and results. Attendees will earn an hour of CEU credit, and gain a deeper understanding of this critical area of workers’ compensation practice.

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Joanne Thomas Successfully Defends Case Resulting in 18 Felony Workers’ Compensation Fraud and Perjury Charges

Joanne Thomas recently defended a workers’ comp case in which her skillful approach to deposition questioning led to the District Attorney filing 18 felony charges including Perjury Under Oath and False or Fraudulent Statements. From the outset, Joanne’s crafted a strategy to leverage investigative methods and careful questioning to achieve the best result for the client.

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Joanne Thomas Joins The Transitions Team As A Mentor To Help Foster Workers Compensation Talent

SRTK is pleased to announce that our CEO Joanne Thomas has joined the mentorship team of The Transitions, and will apply her years of experience and insight to helping workers’ compensation professionals develop themselves and their teams.

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Anna Ghajar Named One of the American Institute of Legal Counsel’s Top 10 Attorneys in California Workers’ Compensation

The “10 Best Workers’ Compensation Attorneys” list for California recognizes those who demonstrate “exceptional and outstanding customer service.” Anna’s clients know they can count on her to use her skills and the firm’s resources to deliver the best possible results in their workers’ comp cases.

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Joanne Thomas to Present “Case Law… The Top Cases You Need To Know About” at CSIA’s 2021 Annual Meeting & Conference

This year’s California Self-Insurers Association Annual Meeting & Conference will feature a special presentation by Joanne Thomas, covering four essential cases that anyone in the workers’ compensation field should know about. Joanne will go into depth on what each of these cases means, and how they can impact Workers’ comp claims for employers and insurers alike.

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SB-335 Will Be Heard By CA State Senate Appropriations Committee on May 10th

The Califonia State Senate’s Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee passed SB-335 by a vote of 4-1, moving it on to a hearing by the Appropriations Committee on May 10th at 9am. The bill, proposed by Senator Dan Cortese (D-San Jose), would shorten the window for employers to reject workers’ compensation claims from 90 days to 45 days.

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Hearing Scheduled On Multiple Workers’ Compensation Bills, Including Medical Provider Network Creation

The California legislature’s Assembly Insurance Committee will hear testimony on Thursday regarding several pieces of workers’ compensation legislation, including a proposal for the creation of a state-wide network of medical providers for the treatment of injured workers. The deadline for DWC to establish the network could be June 30, 2022.

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Tim Kinsey Welcomes Rescue Dogs At LAX with Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue

SRTK’s Tim Kinsey is a long-time supporter of Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue (SCGRR), and has had the honor of assisting SCGRR in finding forever homes for a great many domestic and international rescue dogs. The latest Korea arrivals to SCGRR include Pobi, Hank.. and a very special four-year-old Golden… Kinsey!

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2021 First Quarter Newsletter

Read our 2021 First Quarter Newsletter!

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New Medical-Legal Fee Schedule & Regulations Effective April 1, 2021, Including Fee Multipliers

The California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers’ Compensation’s new Medical-Legal Fee Schedule (MLFS), which took effect on April 1st, 2021, will significantly increase the cost of medical-legal evaluations, and may have a wider impact on contested claims than initially indicated. The regulations apply to all evaluations taking place on or after April 1st, 2021, and include new multipliers that can further increase the cost of exams and evaluations.

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Joanne Thomas Speaks On Mentorship As Part Of The Transitions’ Webinar Series

Joanne Thomas recently participated in a new webinar series by The Transitions, offering her thoughts on mentorship in the workers’ compensation industry, and how leaders can develop and nurture talent within their organizations.

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SRTK Proudly Sponsors AWCP’s April Virtual Conference & Networking Event, Featuring Joanne Thomas and Tim Kinsey

Joanne Thomas and Tim Kinsey will be joined by Dr. Raj Das for a special presentation of the highly successful educational program “COVID-19 Claims: How Do You Respond?” Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to earn up to two hours of CE credits – register now!

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Chris Lee Earns Take Nothing In Case For Children’s Hospital

Chris Lee, of SRTK’s Novato office, recently obtained a huge take nothing decision on all issues in a case for SRTK client Children’s Hospital.

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Summary of California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation Emergency Regulations for Medical-Legal Evaluations and Reporting

As announced yesterday, California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) emergency regulations §§ 36.7 and 46.2 have been extended through October 12, 2021.  Below is a summary of what the emergency regulations provide. This extension is in accordance with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Orders N-40-20 and N-71-20, and is the first 210-day extension of these regulations.

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Jesse Peck Wins At Trial With Findings & Award Under Life Pension Threshold

Jesse Peck, Senior Managing Attorney of SRTK’s Orange office recently won at trial, securing a very positive outcome for our client in a case involving multiple claims that could have resulted in a combined rating and Life Pension benefits.

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SRTK, MedRisk, DentalWorks USA and MKCM Present Wine Wednesday, 3/10

Don’t miss an opportunity to taste amazing wines from San Clemente WIne Company, with owner Jerome Bowman discussing the finer points of four varietals!

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Back By Popular Demand! Join Joanne Thomas, Tim Kinsey, and Dr. Raj Das for “COVID-19 Claims… How do you respond?”

SRTK Shareholders Joanne Thomas and Tim Kinsey will be joined by Dr. Raj Das to present “COVID-19 Claims… How do you respond?” This special program will explore the complexities of coronavirus-related workers’ compensation claims, and offer unique perspectives including medical guidance and best practices in defending such claims.

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Kathleen Roberts Earns Take Nothing In Elevator Scuffle Workers’ Comp Claim Case

Kathleen Roberts, Managing Shareholder of SRTK’s San Jose office, recently won big for a client, earning a Take Nothing in a case where an employee got into an altercation with a supervisor, and claimed an injury when the scuffle moved to the elevator. The claim was denied based upon the initial aggressor affirmative defense under LC3600(a)(7).

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Employers: Stay Ahead of Additional Reporting and Posting Requirements for COVID-19

The global health crisis has spurred numerous pieces of legislation related to workers’ compensation, with a maze of requirements to navigate. Now, more than ever, it is important for employers to carefully take into consideration all applicable rules and regulations to ensure compliance and minimize risk.

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Shareholder Joanne Thomas to Present “Obtained Legally, Leveraged Wisely” from the California Self-Insurers Association

SRTK Shareholder Joanne Thomas will speak as part of the virtual event “Obtained Legally, Leveraged Wisely,” a virtual event on Tuesday, February 23rd, 10:00AM PST, presented by the California Self-Insurers Association (CSIA).

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Paul Wolfe of SRTK’s Novato Office Becomes the Firm’s Newest Shareholder

SRTK is pleased to announce that Paul G. Wolfe has become a Shareholder of the firm, effective immediately. As SRTK’s newest Shareholder, Paul will remain in the firm’s Greater San Francisco (Novato) office, where he has been the Senior Managing Attorney alongside the office’s Managing Shareholder, Stewart Reubens.

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Encore presentation: Joanne Thomas, Tim Kinsey and Dr. Raj Das Present Best Practices for COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Claims

SRTK Shareholders Joanne Thomas and Tim Kinsey will be joined by Dr. Raj Das for an encore presentation of “COVID-19 Claims… How do you respond?” This special program presented by MacroPro & Friends explores the complexities of coronavirus-related workers’ compensation claims, and offers unique perspectives including medical guidance and best practices in defending such claims. 

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Joanne Thomas, Tim Kinsey and Dr. Raj Das Present Best Practices for COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Claims

SRTK Shareholders Joanne Thomas and Tim Kinsey were joined by Dr. Raj Das to present “COVID-19 Claims… How do you respond?” This special program presented by MacroPro & Friends explored the complexities of coronavirus-related workers’ compensation claims, and offered unique perspectives including medical guidance and best practices in defending such claims. 

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California WCAB Suspends Rule on Assignment of Walk-Through Cases

In an en banc decision Tuesday morning, California’s Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) suspended WCAB Rule 10789(c), which requires that each district office have a designee of the presiding judge available on court days to assign walk-through cases, citing the ongoing state of emergency and marking a shift from the current “e-file only” approach. This allows district offices to schedule their own timeframes based on staffing and safety.

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SRTK Sponsored Event: RIMS San Diego Holiday Team Trivia

SRTK is proud to be a sponsor of the San Diego RIMS chapter’s special holiday virtual event, Team Trivia, on Thursday, December 10. Our own Mya Gibson and Melissa Downing will be representing SRTK, and we will be rooting on their teams! 

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Shareholder Joanne Thomas to Present “Obtain Legally, Leverage Wisely” from the National Council of Self-Insurers

SRTK Shareholder Joanne Thomas will speak as part of the National Council of Self-Insurers’ virtual event “Obtain Legally, Leverage Wisely,” a virtual event on Tuesday, December 1st, 9:30-11:30AM PST, presented by the National Council of Self-Insurers (NCSI).

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Paul Zayat Secures Order Dismissing Claim in Ankle Injury Case

Paul was referred the file and immediately began aggressive discovery tactics including subpoenaing all relevant medical, scheduling the applicant’s deposition and quick and aggressive contact with applicant’s counsel questioning the validity of the claim in light of the medical records received thus far.

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SRTK, MedRisk, DentalWorks USA and MKCM Present Wine Wednesday, 11/18

Don’t miss an opportunity to taste amazing wines from San Clemente WIne Company, with owner Jerome Bowman discussing the finer points of five varietals, two red, two white, and a bubbly!

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Joanne Thomas, Tim Kinsey and Dr. Raj Das Present Best Practices for COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Claims

SRTK Shareholders Joanne Thomas and Tim Kinsey will be joined by Dr. Raj Das to present “COVID-19 Claims… How do you respond?” This special program will explore the complexities of coronavirus-related workers’ compensation claims, and offer unique perspectives including medical guidance and best practices in defending such claims. 

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Deadline for Reporting COVID-19 Cases is October 29th – Don’t put yourself at risk!

The updated Labor Code section 3212.88 requires employers to report to their claims administrator ALL positive test results for COVID-19 by their employees (whether a claim has been filed or not).

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SRTK Sponsored Event: 2020 Comp Laude

SRTK is proud to sponsor the 2020 WorkCompCentral Comp Laude virtual event, featuring four days of networking, education sessions, awards, and more! 

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SRTK Sponsored Webinar: “Fentanyl: Evolving Role in Drug Overdose”

SRTK is proud to sponsor the upcoming webinar “Fentanyl: Evolving Role in Drug Overdose,” hosted by myMatrixx and MKCM National Case Management. Join us on December 2nd, 2020 at 11:30am Eastern (8:30am Pacific) for a webinar that offers 1 Pharmacy CEU credit in addition to in-depth analysis of fentanyl’s role in the opioid epidemic.

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Paul Wolfe of Novato Earns a Take Nothing

Paul Wolfe of SRTK’s Novato office recently earned a Take Nothing in a case involving an applicant who revived her case through a petition for reconsideration. Based upon this successful defense, the client will avoid the statutory 50% increase in compensation as well as further costs of litigation and defense estimated at over $40,000.

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2020 Third Quarter Newsletter

Read our 2020 Third Quarter Newsletter!

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Worker Charged with 11 Felony Counts After Video Evidence Emerges in Workers Compensation Insurance Fraud Case

A worker who sustained injuries repairing a water line subsequently claimed additional injuries and a lack of improvement, and has been charged with multiple felony counts, including workers’ compensation fraud and presenting false documentation in order to receive compensation.

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Key Highlights of the COVID Presumption Law

Senate Bill 1159 and AB 685 stand to be a huge consideration in workers’ compensation cases due to COVID-19. Please review our “Key Highlights of the COVID Presumption Law,” and contact us if you have questions about what the law means for you.

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Aaron Hemmings and Jerry Rempel Present “Good Faith Personnel Action Defense”

SRTK Shareholders Aaron Hemmings and Jerry Rempel presented “Good Faith Personnel Action Defense” on September 9th, 2020 as part of the Valley Industrial Claims Association (VICA) three-day virtual “Summer Circus” webinar event. The event provided participants with the opportunity to earn up to 6 hours of MCLE and CEU across the six individual programs.

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Legislative Update: Amended COVID-19 Presumption Bills Remain Under Review as California Senate Closes Due to Coronavirus

The three bills under review to establish workers’ compensation presumptions for COVID-19 cases are still pending discussion, with more proposed amendments expected and negotiations anticipated to continue leading up to closure of the legislature’s 2020 session on Monday, August 30th. Discussion of the bills stalled when Wednesday’s floor session was canceled and the Senate closed temporarily due to a member testing positive for COVID-19.

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Register Now: Aaron Hemmings and Jerry Rempel to present at VICA’s “Summer Circus Series”

On Wednesday, September 9th, SRTK Shareholders Aaron Hemmings and Jerry Rempel will present a session on Good Faith personnel Defense as part of the Valley Industrial Claims Association (VICA) virtual “Summer Circus Series” event.

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California Legislature Votes, Will Hold Appropriations Committee Hearing on Multiple Bills to Create COVID-19 Presumptions for “Essential” and Other Workers

As we have written previously, the California state legislature will begin to hear testimony on Senate Bill 1159, in a session beginning August 11th at 10am. In addition, testimony will be heard on two other bills, Assembly Bill 196 (AB 196) and Assembly Bill 664 (AB 664). These two bills create separate presumptions, one conclusive and one rebuttable, that cover essential employees. 

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