Solorio, Ramiro

Applicant Ramiro Solorio claimed a specific injury (June 16, 2016) and a cumulative trauma injury (1996-2016) while working as a truck driver/loader/unloader for California Community News. The WCJ issued an Amended Joint Findings and Award along with a Notice of Intention to appoint a regular physician in psychology or psychiatry, finding the record required development before parts of body, disability, apportionment, and other issues could be resolved. Defendant sought reconsideration or removal, arguing that since applicant raised psyche but offered no evidence, the WCJ should have found applicant failed to meet his burden of proof. The Board treated the challenge as one for removal because the finding regarding development of the record is interlocutory, not final. The Board denied both reconsideration and removal, holding that developing the record prevents prejudice rather than causing it, and that challenging a notice of intention (rather than an actual order) is premature. The Board also admonished defense counsel for citing unpublished decisions.