Interpreters Win Another Round in Bakersfield

A California hearing representative who's been fighting carriers up and down the state to force payment for interpreting services gave the insurance industry another spanking last week. The Bakersfield board ruled Nov. 9 that Preferred Employers Insurance Co. Must pay Duran Interpreting Service $2,120 for services to injured worker Pia Hidalgo during doctor visits. Hearing officer Chris Alcala of Los Angeles said the ruling by Workers' Compensation Judge Kathleen M. Ortega is the latest in a string of victories that he's won in workers' compensation courts from Long Beach to Oakland. "To ...