What the panel ordered
Petition for Reconsideration granted solely to defer the issue of maximum medical improvement in both cases; otherwise, the WCJ's Joint Findings, Order, and Award are affirmed.
Defendant filed a timely Petition for Reconsideration challenging the Occupational Group Number assigned by the WCJ; the WCJ issued a Report and Recommendation to deny the petition; the Appeals Board granted reconsideration solely to defer the issue of maximum medical improvement and otherwise affirmed the WCJ's findings.
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 Appeals Board deferred the issue of maximum medical improvement because the WCJ found further development of the record was necessary on causation and injury issues.
From the decision · page 4Since the WCJ found that further development of the record is appropriate and has not determined the issue of industrial causation of some body parts in ADJ12221657 and the issue of injury arising out of and in the course of employment in ADJ13326997, it is premature to determine whether applicant has reached maximum medical improvement. Thus, we defer the issue of whether applicant has reached maximum medical improvement in both cases.