WCAB En Banc Requires Adding Disabilities for Subsequent Injury Claims

Prior and subsequent disabilities should simply be added to determine whether an applicant has a valid claim against the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund, the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board ruled in an en banc decision published Tuesday. The board in Richard Todd v. Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund also said the fund is liable for the total amount of the combined permanent disability minus any amount due to the applicant from the subsequent injury in the decision that’s been pending for nearly three years. The Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund,...