Hadley, Raymond

Applicant Raymond Hadley sustained an accepted cumulative knee injury and claimed additional cumulative injuries including bladder cancer, hypertension, hearing loss, and psyche. After the original internal medicine QME (Dr. Duhan) died before issuing final reporting, replacement QME Dr. Bronshvag issued nine reports over four years but was unable or unwilling to provide final opinions on causation and impairment for the bladder cancer and hypertension claims, instead requesting a genitourinary specialist consultation, while efforts to obtain an oncology QME panel failed due to insufficient available doctors. The WCJ found good cause to replace Dr. Bronshvag and appointed Dr. Scott Anderson as a regular physician under Labor Code section 5701. The WCAB majority granted reconsideration and affirmed the replacement but amended the decision to require the parties to first attempt to agree on an AME before appointing a regular physician, consistent with McDuffie. Chair Zalewski dissented, arguing the QME's request for a consulting specialist was a valid medical opinion that did not justify replacement.