Category: 2005 PDRS

By Posted on Posted in 1997 PDRS, 2005 PDRS, Author, Calculators, Cell Phones, Combined Values Chart, DFEC Rebuttal, Free, Ogilvie, PDRater, Technobabble, Website Updates, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,
Permanent disability calculators that will fit in your pocket!
Permanent disability calculators that will fit in any pocket!

I was at the San Jose WCAB on Friday.  Since recently discovering that I could run this website’s permanent disability rating calculators from my phone’s web browser, this was the first time I left my rating manual, money chart, and date wheel in the car. ((Photo courtesy of .robbie))

It was great.  That morning I used my phone to:

  • Find the ADJ number associated with the legacy SJO number on my file
  • Calculate an Ogilvie adjustment of a rating string
  • Calculate the number days between two dates
  • Perform old and new schedule ratings
  • Perform a CVC (combined values chart) calculation ((Oh, and I called my client at one point.  Ha!))

The benefit for me is not so much that I don’t have to carry the rating manuals, dollar value charts, and date wheels.  Unlike these tools, my phone is not something I’m going to misplace or loan and never see again.

The best part is that if I want to refer back to the calculation I just performed, I can just e-mail it to myself!

By Posted on Posted in 1997 PDRS, 2005 PDRS, AJAX, Average Weekly Wage, Calculators, Cell Phones, Free, Javascript, PDRater, Technobabble, Website Updates, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , ,
This phone will not run PDRater calculators, but yours might!
This phone will not run PDRater calculators, but yours might!

I recently discovered that installing the Opera Mini web browser on my “smartphone” has allowed me to run this website’s workers’ compensation calculators from my phone. ((Photo courtesy of storm gal))

Since launching this website I’ve given a lot of thought to support for cell phones.  There just are not many phones that can run these calculators. ((It would be more correct to say there are not many phones that support javascript and AJAX well enough to interact with this website in a meaningful fashion.)) The glaring and notable exception is the iPhone.

Amusingly, one of this website’s users has asked for an “iPhone app” version of this site.  Seriously, you’ve got one of the few phones that can use this site and that’s not good enough for you?  (Thanks Chris!)

This is huge.  It means:

  • I can blog from the Board ((Probably a lot more interesting for me than it is for you…))
  • More importantly, no more bulky money charts or rating manuals at the Board!

By Posted on Posted in 2005 PDRS, Almaraz / Guzman, AMA Guides, Ogilvie, PDRater, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Appeal (get it?)
Appeal (get it?)

Thanks to our friends at AppealsBoardReporter.com, we now have access to 22 amicus briefs filed in the Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman cases.  ((Photo courtesy of Black Glenn.  Terrible pun courtesy of me.)) In late March 2009 the WCAB granted reconsideration of their recent Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman decisions – and invited the submission of amicus briefs.  You can read and download them here:

Who produced them?  Well, Ogilvie amicus briefs were filed by:

  • Morrow & Morrow
  • International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals
  • The Travelers Companies Inc.
  • Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner
  • California Workers’ Compensation Institute

The Almaraz/Guzman briefs were filed by:

  • California Applicants’ Attorneys Association
  • California Chamber of Commerce-CSAC Excess Insurance Authority
  • County of Los Angeles
  • California Self-Insured Employers Association
  • California Society of Industrial Medicine and Surgery
  • California Workers’ Compensation Institute
  • Department of Industrial Relations Director John Duncan
  • Employers Direct Insurance Company
  • Phil Walker, Esq.
  • Phil Walker, Judicial Notice Request
  • Protected Insurance Program for Schools
  • Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner
  • Safeway Inc.-The Boeing Co.-Schools Insurance Authority
  • San Diego Schools Joint Powers Authority
  • International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals
  • Morrow & Morrow
  • The Travelers Companies Inc.

After reviewing the above list, I have to wonder: Why doesn’t CAAA have an amicus brief for Ogilvie?  Does anyone know?

By Posted on Posted in 1997 PDRS, 2005 PDRS, Almaraz / Guzman, AMA Guides, DFEC Rebuttal, Ogilvie, PDRater, Permanent Disability Rating Schedule, Permanent Partial Disability, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Need more time to think about Ogilvie, Almaraz, and Guzman?
Need more time to think about Ogilvie, Almaraz/Guzman?

Sometimes even the WCAB needs more time to think. ((Photo courtesy of radiospike photography))

On March 26, 2009, the director of the Department of Industrial Relations, John C. Duncan, issued a letter to the entire Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board asking them to vacate their own decisions and solicit argument and amicus briefs.  Here’s a copy, courtesy of WCExec.com, the Letter from Director of DIR to WCAB re: Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman (3/26/2009).

On Monday April 6, 2009 the WCAB issued three Orders Granting Reconsideration and Order Allowing Amicus Briefs (en banc) in Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman.  For your review:

What does the Order Granting Reconsideration of Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman mean for you?

    1. Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman are still the law.  Despite Commissioner Aghazarian’s two concurring opinions, the WCAB did not issue a stay of either Ogilvie or Almaraz/Guzman.
    2. The WCAB has granted SCIF’s petition for reconsideration in Almaraz, granting reconsideration on their own motion in Guzman, and the parties’ petitions for reconsideration in Ogilvie.  They have granted reconsideration on these cases to, “afford us a sufficient opporutnity to study the issues.” ((Hence, the “The Thinker” reference above…))
    3. Any interested party may file an amicus brief no later than May 1, 2009 at 5pm.

      By Posted on Posted in 2005 PDRS, Calculators, Ogilvie, PDRater, Permanent Partial Disability, Technobabble, Website Updates, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,
      Thank you for the feedback!
      Thank you for the feedback!

      I was recently sent feedback about the Ogilvie DFEC rebuttal calculator on this website.  ((Photo courtesy of biketrouble))  Here’s how I’ve incorporated that feedback:

      1. Inputs. The calculator results repeats the inputs with the results.  This ensures that the answer provided gives you enough context when showing the calculation to the other side or when you go back to review your file.
      2. Email. You can now e-mail your calculations to yourself.
      3. Links. I’ve added a link to the various Employment Development Department and U.S. Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics inside the calculator itself.  It doesn’t automatically obtain the information, but hopefully you will find this helpful.

      There are two other issues I’m thinking about:

      1. An easy way to pull up the FEC rank of a particular body part.  Its kind of a pain to look up the body part, find the FEC rank, and then enter that into the calculator.  I’m thinking ways to simplify this process.  This shouldn’t be too bad to write.
      2. Rating using the Ogilvie DFEC adjusted whole person impairment.  This one will prove to be a difficult one to write in an intuitive fashion.

      How would you change these calculators?  What else would you like to see?  What do you hate about them?  Shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment!