WCPanelIQ
PanelMed-legalRemanded

Pau, Puni

PUNI PAU, Applicant vs. CAL FIRE, legally uninsured, administered by STATE COMPENSATION INSURANCE FUND, Defendants

ADJ number
ADJ9159725
Decision date
Dec 18, 2025
District office
Riverside
WCJ
—
Claim administrator
State Compensation Insurance Fund
Commissioners
JOSEPH V. CAPURRO, COMMISSIONER, PATRICIA A. GARCIA, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, KATHERINE A. ZALEWSKI, CHAIR

Injury / body parts: neck/cervical spine, back/lumbar spine, right knee, left knee, left hip, bilateral shoulders, bilateral elbows, bilateral wrists, bilateral hands, bilateral ankles, bilateral feet, ears/hearing loss, sinus, lungs, headaches, sleep, hypertension, irritable bowel

LC §4660.1LC §4662LC §4663LC §4664LC §4664(c)LC §4664(c)(1)

Summary

Applicant, a CAL FIRE fire captain, sustained two admitted cumulative injuries: a 2010 CT (ADJ7757931) settled at 65% PD to neck, back, right knee, and left hip, and a 2013 CT (ADJ9159725) to numerous body parts. After applicant petitioned to reopen, the WCJ awarded 100% permanent total disability without apportionment based on applicant's vocational evaluator. The Board granted reconsideration and rescinded the F&A, holding that the vocational report was not substantial evidence because the evaluator improperly interjected his own medical opinions about applicant's work restrictions (substituting 'clinical judgment' for the AME's medium-work assessment) and opined on apportionment, which is a medical determination. The Board returned the matter to the trial level for further development on the industrial causation of work restrictions, the section 4664(c) reduction issue, and CVC rebuttal.

Issues

Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes full case search.

Holding

Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes full case search.

Analysis

Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes full case search.

Applicant takeaway

Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes full case search.

Defense takeaway

Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes full case search.

Provider takeaway

Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes full case search.

Similar decisions

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.

Member is $25/month or $250/year. Subscribe to view similar decisions.