Court Rules 5402 'Free Medical' Applies Retroactively

A classic example of the Law of Unintended Consequences was born out of the decision last week by a California Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge, who ruled, in a case of first impression, that the "free medical treatment" clause of Labor Code section 5402(c) applied retroactively.5402(c) states:"Within one working day after an employee files a claim form under Section 5401, the employer shall authorize the provision of all treatment, consistent with Section 5307.27 or the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, for t...