Dianne Lopez — ADJ17103616

Applicant Dianne Lopez sustained admitted industrial injury to the cervical spine, thoracic spine, and left shoulder while working as a battery tech and roadside assistant on June 13, 2022. The WCJ found the record needed further development regarding a claimed head injury (headaches), ordered a neurological QME/AME, and stated the chiropractic QME (Edward Jennings, D.C.) could not render competent opinions on headaches. Applicant sought reconsideration challenging only the interlocutory statement about the chiropractic QME's competence. The Board treated the petition as one for removal (since only interlocutory issues were challenged in a hybrid decision), agreed that Dr. Jennings' headache causation opinion was not substantial medical evidence given its speculative 'may' language, but found the WCJ's broad statements about chiropractors' qualifications were unnecessary and unsupported by the record. The Board denied reconsideration, granted removal, affirmed the findings and award, and amended the order to remove the disparaging language about chiropractic QMEs.