Babenko, Ivan

Defendant failed to appear at an expedited hearing on November 21, 2024, did not respond to an order to show cause, did not object to a notice of intention to impose sanctions, and did not respond to applicant's bill of particulars. On July 18, 2025, the WCJ issued an Order Imposing Sanctions of $1,500 against defendant and awarding $2,745 in costs to applicant. Defendant sought reconsideration, contending its failure to appear was due to acute illness and that it had informed applicant's attorney. The Appeals Board treated the petition as a request for relief from a default judgment under Code of Civil Procedure section 473(b) and, favoring resolution on the merits, granted reconsideration, rescinded the sanctions order, and returned the matter to the trial level for further proceedings without ruling on the merits.