Crater, Barbara

Applicant Barbara Crater, a furniture salesperson, sustained injury to her head, brain, and psyche on May 15, 2022, when she tripped and hit her head, resulting in a subdural hematoma and cognitive injury. Her treating physician requested 28 hours per week of home care for six months, which defendant authorized through utilization review. The dispute centered on whether defendant could assert MPN control over the selection of the home caregiver and whether applicant could select a family member (her daughter) to provide that care. The WCJ found that defendant failed to prove the existence of an approved and enforceable MPN providing ancillary services, that there was no MPN control over caregiver selection, and that applicant had the right to select her daughter as home care provider. The Appeals Board denied defendant's Petition for Reconsideration, finding no error in the WCJ's determinations.