What the panel ordered
Petition for removal granted; April 24, 2023 order granting additional QME panels rescinded; matter returned to WCJ for further proceedings.
Defendant sought removal of the WCJ's order granting additional QME panels in internal medicine and psychiatry. The Appeals Board reviewed the record and granted removal, rescinding the order and returning the matter for further proceedings.
What was disputed, and how it came out
Each issue the panel decided, with the reasoning it gave. An outcome is what this panel did on this record — not a rule, and not a prediction.
The WCJ issued an order granting additional QME panels without holding a hearing, creating a record, or providing a summary of the evidence relied upon, as required by law. The Appeals Board found this was improper and rescinded the order, remanding for further proceedings.
From the decision · page 4In the April 24, 2023 Order granting applicant's Petition for additional QME panels, the WCJ merely states: "IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that The DIR Medical Unit shall issue an additional panels QME List in the area of Internal Medicine (MMM) and Psychiatry (MPD.)" The WCJ does not discuss her reasoning for her decision. Additionally, the Order issued without a hearing, no minutes were filed, no testimony was taken, and the WCJ did not provide a summary of the evidence she relied on in making her decision.