What the panel ordered
The WCAB granted reconsideration, affirmed the Findings and Order except amended the date of injury to May 4, 2021, found compensation not barred by section 5405, and rejected laches as a bar.
Applicant sought reconsideration of the December 15, 2025 Findings and Order by the WCJ, which found injury and barred compensation under Labor Code section 5405 and laches; the WCAB granted reconsideration and amended 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 WCAB found the date of injury to be May 4, 2021, so the claim was filed within the one-year statute of limitations under section 5405, and the defendant failed to prove prejudice to support laches.
From the decision · page 2We have considered the allegations of the Petition for Reconsideration and the contents of the Report. Based on our review of the record, and for the reasons discussed below, we will grant reconsideration and affirm the F&O, except that we will amend it to find that the section 5412 date of injury was May 4, 2021 (Finding of Fact No. 2); that compensation is not barred by section 5405 (Finding of Fact No. 3); and that applicant is not estopped from claiming injury under the equitable doctrine of laches (Finding of Fact No. 5).