What the panel ordered
Petition for Reconsideration granted; WCJ's May 30, 2025 decision rescinded; matter returned to trial level for further proceedings.
Applicant seeks removal of the Findings and Order issued by the WCJ on May 30, 2025, which found that QME Dr. Lorenzo Hughes violated Labor Code section 4628 and granted defendant's petition for a replacement QME panel. The WCAB treats the petition as one for reconsideration, grants it, rescinds the WCJ's decision, and returns the matter for further proceedings.
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 WCJ found Dr. Hughes violated section 4628 by allowing a third party to summarize medical records, but the WCAB found due process was not afforded to Dr. Hughes before striking the reports, so the matter was remanded for further proceedings.
From the decision · page 1Applicant seeks removal of the Findings and Order (F&O) issued by the workers' compensation administrative law judge (WCJ) on May 30, 2025, wherein the WCJ found in pertinent part that the reporting of QME Dr. Lorenzo Hughes violated Labor Code section 46281; that the reporting does not constitute substantial medical evidence; and, that it must be stricken from the record. The WCJ also granted defendant's petition for a replacement QME panel and ordered that a replacement panel in pain medicine be provided within 30 days.