CWCI Continues Case Law Series With New Seminar

The California Workers’ Compensation Institute has announced it will conduct a one-day case law seminar in May in both San Francisco and Long Beach, Calif. The program will examine how recent trends in decisional law are reshaping California workers’ comp, and discuss appropriate negotiation and defense strategies for claims personnel, attorneys, hearing reps, case managers, nurses, rehab professionals and others with negotiating authority.

CWCI General Counsel Mike McClain, who is coordinating the program for the Institute, notes that this is the sixth consecutive year that the Institute has conducted the program. According to McClain, “Once again, the focus will be on the practical impact of case law for those who work in the system. Our faculty includes attorneys with both applicant and defense experience which allows us to use an interactive, debate-style format to present alternate viewpoints on recent decisions and insights into what it all means for those trying to deliver benefits or defend claims.” The 2004 program will explore a wide range of topics including employment law implications of vocational rehabilitation changes; penalties; medical care issues (the PTP, ACOEM guidelines, the Kunz en banc decision, utilization review, and second opinion spinal surgery rules and procedures); attendant care issues; rulings regarding independent contractors; and psychiatric injuries.

The Institute will present its seminar from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 17 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, and Monday, May 24 at the Grand Long Beach Event Center. Early bird tuition is $295 for CWCI nonmembers and $195 for member company employees. CWCI members registering 3 or more employees together with a single payment received by CWCI by May 3 are eligible for a discounted rate of $175 per person. Registrations received after May 3 will be charged standard rates of $295 for CWCI members, $395 for nonmembers. The seminar fee includes the course syllabus, brief summaries of significant decisions with full citations, continental breakfast and lunch. Preregistration is required and space is limited, so registrations will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Details and registration information can be accessed on CWCI’s website (www.cwci.org) or by calling Mel Long at (510)2 51-9470.

Topics Lawsuits