First Responders Claim Constitutional Right to Benefits

First responders who are suing two cities and their third-party administrators for allegedly conspiring to delay and deny claims say California’s workers’ compensation laws create a constitutional right to benefits that is not contingent upon a final determination of compensability. In their opening brief filed with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 29, the plaintiffs argue that a district court in Southern California improperly relied on the ruling in Angelotti Chiropractic in holding that workers don’t have a vested right to comp benefits.  The firefighte...