California State Home Page – http://www.ca.gov/state/portal/myca_homepage.jsp
California Department of Industrial Relations – http://www.dir.ca.gov/
Division of Workers’ Compensation – http://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/dwc_home_page.htm
455 Golden Gate Ave., 9th Floor
P.O. Box 420603
San Francisco, CA 94142
415-703-4600
1-800-736-7401 – an automated toll free telephone service with recorded messages to assist injured workers, employers and others in understanding California’s workers’ compensation system and their rights and responsibilities under the law.
Administrative Director – Richard P. Gannon
Acting Chief Deputy Administrative Director – George Mason
Assistant Chief – Richard W. Younkin
Administration Unit – Sven Norrlander, Manager
Audit Unit – Mark Johnson, Manager
Communications Unit – Richard Stephens, Manager
Policy, Program Evaluation & Training Unit:
Blair Megowan – Disability Evaluation Program Manager
Otis Byrd – Rehabilitation Program Manager
Information and Assistance Unit – Bob C. Wong, Manager
Legal Unit – Jacqueline Schauer, Manager
Medical Unit – Linda Rudolph, Medical Director
Research Unit – Jim Bellows, Manager
UEF/SIF Claims Unit – John Hopper, Manager
Claims Adjudication Unit/WCAB – Richard W. Younkin, Assistant Chief
Southern Region – William Whiteley, Regional Manager
28 Civic Center Plaza, #554, Santa Ana 92701-4070, (714) 558-4968
Central Region – Mark Kahn, Regional Manager
6150 Van Nuys Blvd., #200, Van Nuys 91401-3373, (818) 901-5324
Northern Region – Robert Kutz, Regional Manager
175 Lennon Lane, Room 200, Walnut Creek 94598-2469, (925) 977-7971
What’s new – http://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/whatsnew.htm
Forms – http://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/forms.html
NOTE: Electronic versions of these forms are currently being prepared for download. They will be posted as they become available
Title 8, California Code of Regulations — http://www.dir.ca.gov/samples/search/querydwc.htm
The Administrative Director’s regulations are Sections 9710 through 10204 and the WCAB rules are Sections 10300 through 10999.
Highlights
Insurance requirement: Competitive state fund or self-insurance by private carrier insurance or individual employers.
Exemptions from WC: None
Medical benefits provided: Full
Physician selection: Employer selects initial physician. After a specified period employee has free choice.
Benefits for temporary total disability (TTD): 66 2/3 percent of worker’s wage for the duration of disability.
Benefits for permanent total disability (PTD): 66 2/3 percent of worker’s wage for life.
Benefits for permanent partial disability (PPD): 66 2/3 percent of worker’s wage for up to 619.25 weeks (applicable to a worker with a 99.5 percent disability). 3 to 8 weeks of workers’ compensation payable for each 1 percent of permanent disability, depending on severity. Hereafter, if disability is at least 70 percent, but not more than 99.75 percent, a life pension of 1.5 percent of the employee’s weekly earnings will be paid for each 1 percent of disability over 60 percent subject to a maximum weekly rate of $116.27.
Scheduled awards: N/A
Disfigurement benefits: No set figure, but the nature of the disfigurement shall be taken into account when determining the percentages of permanent disability.
Death benefits for surviving spouse and children: 66 2/3 percent of employee’s wage. Total amount payable is $145,000; or, with three or more dependents, $160,000.
Maximum burial allowance: $5,000
Waiting period: 3 days for temporary total disability only. Compensation is retroactive if disability continues for 14 days from date of injury.
Rehabilitation: Employer is responsible for vocational rehabilitation costs. They must also pay TTD and additional living expenses during physical and vocational rehabilitation. Mandatory payments generally capped at $16,000. Employees must request vocational rehabilitation within 15 years of the date of injury. Compensation will be withheld for refusal to cooperate. Employees receive TTD benefits plus maintenance at $247 (limited to 52 weeks) and living expenses necessitated by rehabilitation; terminated vocation rehabilitation services may be restored within 5 years after injury in certain cases.
Attorney fees: Determined by agency on an individual case basis.
Occupational hearing loss statutes: Employee has one year from date of discovery to file for compensation. Ratings for compensation purposes are determined as a percentage of permanent total disability.