Industry Insights
|
Barthel: Saving the World, One Slightly-Less-Original Document at a Time | 03/16/2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source: Donald R. Barthel | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| The infamous QME template legislation, Assembly Bill 1293, has been signed into law but will not take effect immediately. ...Read More | |||
|
Barthel: Even Super Bowl Winners May Lose in Comp | 02/18/2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| Approximately 135 million viewers around the world tuned in to watch the New England Patriots (again!) take on the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX. ...Read More | |||
|
Bair: Leaning Into Liens | 02/02/2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Jessica E. Bair | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| Ah, good old liens. Love them or hate them, they are a major component of workers’ compensation claims, and failure to timely address them can result in tens of thousands of dollars being owed by claims adjusters. ...Read More | |||
|
Barthel: How Hard Can Intoxication Defense Be? | 01/30/2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Donald R. Barthel | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| Though seemingly a simple defense, intoxication oftentimes trips up unsuspecting defendants. ...Read More | |||
|
Barthel: Is Rodriguez Worth It? | 01/16/2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Donald R. Barthel | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” is a famous phrase used to describe the persuasive power of numbers to bolster weak arguments and mislead an audience. ...Read More | |||
|
Barthel: Is SIBTF a Great Idea Gone Awry? | 01/05/2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Donald R. Barthel | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. ...Read More | |||
|
Barthel: Are You an Employer, or Do You Use Independent Contractors? Can You Prove It? | 12/24/2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Don R. Barthel | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| As California’s Assembly Bill 5, AB 2257, Proposition 22 and the millions of dollars poured into that campaign have all demonstrated, whether a hiring party can prove that a worker is an independent contractor makes all the difference in the world. ...Read More | |||
|
Barthel: Is Pot a Defense? Are You High? | 12/22/2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Donald R. Barthel | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| Raising a successful marijuana intoxication defense against an alleged work-related injury may have been complicated by recent legislation, but defendants can still make it a successful defense if they remember the finer points of proving proximate cause. ...Read More | |||
|
Barthel: Is Dubon II on the Way Out? | 12/17/2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Donald R. Barthel | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 2 | |||
| With the advent of new case law from the 2nd District Court of Appeal effectively ending the Patterson doctrine, defense attorneys have to question whether the WCAB's en banc decisions in Dubon I and II could eventually be challenged as well. ...Read More | |||
|
Burns: Is Personal Appearance at Trial Really Necessary? | 02/24/2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By: Michael P. Burns | |||
| State: CA | Segment: WEST | 0 | |||
| One frequent tactic of some attorneys is to attempt to force the in-person appearance of a claims adjuster at trial. ...Read More | |||
