WCAB Commissioners Make Progress on Case Backlog, Advocate for Better Communication

As the COVID-19 pandemic nears its one-year milestone in the U.S., commissioners at the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board say they’ve used their lockdown time to chip away at a years-long case backlog. Since last March, the WCAB has reduced its case inventory by about 10%, WCAB Chairwoman Katherine Zalewski said Friday during a commissioners' panel at the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association’s Virtual Winter Convention. In that time, the WCAB also has reduced the average age of cases in the backlog. About 60% of cases waiting are a year old or...