Defining 'Catastrophic' Remains Puzzle for Attorneys

Applicant and defense attorneys say they remain befuddled as to what constitutes a "catastrophic injury" more than one year after the language became a part of the California Labor Code addressing the compensability of a psychiatric disability.And they disagree as to how the addition of this language changed the way workers can qualify for benefits. Labor Code Section 4660.1(c) provides that a worker who is hurt on or after Jan. 1, 2013, cannot receive an increased impairment rating based on a sleep, sex, or psychiatric disorder arising out of his compensable physical injury – unles...