Injured Worker Resources
If you get hurt or sick because of work, your employer is required by law to pay for workers' compensation benefits. Workers' comp insurance provides six basic benefits: medical care, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, supplemental job displacement benefits or vocational rehabilitation and death benefits. For more information go to the DWC Injured Worker Page
Division of Workers' Compensation Fact Sheet and Guides for Injured Workers provide quick Answers to your questions about temporary or permanent disability benefits. The fact sheets also provide information about The Utilization Review Process and Qualified Medical Evaluators (QME) and Agreed Medical Examiner (AME) evaluation process. The fact sheets are interactive with additional links to additional resources.
The California Department of Industrial Relations has published the 5th Edition of the injured worker's guidebook: Workers' Compensation in California - A Guidebook for Injured Workers
The information in the Guidebook describes the California workers’ compensation system as of July 2014. It applies to most private, state, and local government employees whose “date of injury” is 2004 or later.
The DWC Information and Assistance Unit provides information and assistance concerning rights, benefits and obligations under California's workers' compensation laws.
If you are an injured worker, we can help you confirm that your rating percentage is correct and help you understand the P&S Medical report. A short comprehensive rating can provide you with the disability rating (PD Percentage) of your present impairment. The Rating report will show you how the impairments were calculated using verification tables. It will identify any deficiencies or omissions of ratable factors, miscalculations or misapplications found in your report and explain what additional information needs to be requested so the report complies with established guidelines and procedures. We can also help you understand your DEU Rating or Claims Administrator's Rating. Rating Example
A rating request can be made by filling out the
Rating Request Form
Or use the Hard Copy Rating Request Form in WORD format
and email medical report as an attachment to luis@pdratings.com
Other sites that you might find helpful:
DWC Workers' Compensation benefits: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/WorkersCompensationBenefits.htm
A site to help identify the Workers Compensation insurance company for a specific employer: www.caworkcompcoverage.com
DWC Medical Unit
Under the direction of the medical director, the Medical Unit performs a variety of services related to delivery of medical benefits in the workers' compensation system. It establishes policy and guidelines for the treatment and evaluation of injured workers. The unit examines and appoints physicians to be qualified medical evaluators (QMEs), who in turn examine injured workers to help determine the level of benefits they receive. It also certifies and oversees groups -- medical provider networks (MPNs) and health care organizations (HCOs) — that provide care to injured workers
The Training Video shows how to fill out the online QME Form 106-Panel Request.
It walks you step by step on how to fill out the form.
For All Injury Dates After 01-01-2013
Post SB 863 New QME Regulations & PD Determinations
Regulations listing, timelines for the Qualified Medical Examiner. From scheduling appointments to the contents of the medical report. Describes what to do when QME is not available or when the report is not prepared on time, etc.
A site to help you locate a QME by specialty or zip code by searching the Qualified Medical Evaluators database: http://www.dir.ca.gov/databases/dwc/qmestartnew.asp
Your connection to California State Government: http://www.ca.gov/