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PanelGranted

Zamora, Cristal

CRISTAL ZAMORA, Applicant vs. GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATE COMPANY; TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY COMPANY OF AMERICA, Defendants

ADJ number: ADJ16119145
Decision date: Feb 23, 2026
District office: Oakland
WCJ: —
Claim administrator: Travelers Property Casualty Company of America
Commissioners: KATHERINE A. ZALEWSKI, CHAIR, JOSEPH V. CAPURRO, COMMISSIONER, PAUL F. KELLY, COMMISSIONER

Injury / body parts: COVID-19 (systemic/infectious disease)

LC §5313LC §5903LC §5952CCR §10955CCR §10761

Summary

Defendant petitioned for removal from a WCJ's order taking a trial off calendar for further development of the record on the issue of injury AOE/COE in a COVID-19 claim. The WCJ issued the order without creating a record or explaining the need for further development. The Appeals Board granted removal, finding the order violated the parties' due process rights and constituted irreparable harm because no record or opinion on decision supported it. The Board rescinded the November 13, 2025 order taking the matter off calendar and returned the matter to the trial level to create a record. The Board made no determination on whether additional discovery is warranted, and suggested the parties consider whether any doctor addressed if the applicant's work duties increased her risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to the general public.

Issues

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Holding

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Analysis

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Applicant takeaway

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Defense takeaway

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Provider takeaway

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Similar decisions

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Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.