Reform Bill's IMR Process May Be Vulnerable to Challenge

By Sherri Okamoto, Legal ReporterThe independent medical review process established by California's new workers' compensation reform legislation, with its provisions for limited judicial oversight and anonymous decision makers, is radically different from the systems already in place in other states − a fact that some predict may lead to its downfall. The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association has questioned whether various provisions of SB 863, which was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown last Tuesday, will pass constitutional muster. A new group of applicants&...