Workers Comp Zone

A Partner at Boxer & Gerson LLP, Julius Young has practiced worker’s compensation law and social security disability law since 1979. He has represented thousands of individuals who have sustained life-changing injuries or illnesses while on the job. In every case, his goal is to secure the medical treatments his clients need.

September 23, 2024

NEWSOM VETOES UR BILL SB 636

Governor Newsom has vetoed SB 636 (Cortese). The bill would have required that beginning 7/1/2026, for private employers, only a physician licensed pursuant to California state law could modify or deny requests for authorization of medical treatment under California’s workers’ compensation system. Newsom’s September 20, 2024 veto message is as follows: “To the Members of […]


September 2, 2024

LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS: WHAT WORKERS’ COMP BILLS ARE STILL IN PLAY?

California’s legislature went into recess on August 31. Governor Newsom has until September 30, 2024 to sign or veto various workers’ comp bills. Here is a quick list of the status of noteworthy California workers’ comp bills (with links to the bills and legislative analyses): • SB 1299 (Cortese) passed and will be heading to […]


August 16, 2024

SURVIVORS

Yesterday two California workers’ compensation bills survived the August legislative suspense file graveyard. SB 1299 (Cortese) and SB 1205 (Laird) cleared the California Assembly Appropriations committee. SB 1299 (Cortese) creates a disputable heat illness presumption applicable to the agricultural industry: The Legislative Counsel’s Digest summarizes the bill as follows: “This bill would create a disputable […]


July 25, 2024

UBER AND LYFT WIN BIG AT CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT

Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have won a big victory for their business models. On July 25 the California Supreme Court issued its ruling in Hector Castellanos v. State of California (see pdf of the opinion below), rejecting arguments that Prop 22 is unconstitutional. The outcome was not unexpected, as observers of the oral argument before […]


July 9, 2024

CALIFORNIA WORKERS’ COMP TOP DEVELOPMENTS FOR 1ST HALF 2024

What developments in California workers’ compensation stood out in the first half of 2024? Imagine just returned after an extended holiday from California workers’ comp and wanted to separate the wheat from the chaff. What recent developments would stand out? Here are my picks for the top developments through mid-2024, in no particular order: 1. […]


April 29, 2024

THE RIGHT TO DISCONNECT

The most significant 2024 workers’ comp bills are currently in the California Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees. That includes SB 1205 (Laird) (temporary disability and expenses while missing work to attend medical treatment), SB 1346 (Durazo) (TD from date of UR denial to date of IMR reversal to be excluded from 104 week TD cap), AB […]


March 28, 2024

INDOOR HEAT REGULATIONS IN TURMOIL

Adoption of long awaited Cal/OSHA indoor heat standards looked like a sure thing on March 21. The California Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board (the OSHSB) was meeting in San Diego, and approval of indoor heat standards was on the agenda. But the day of the meeting, the Newsom Administration put on the brakes, instructing […]