Arminda Cortez — ADJ3354072

Applicant Arminda Cortez filed a petition for removal from a WCJ's January 13, 2026 order taking the matter off calendar (OTOC), which gave the Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust Fund (UEBTF) thirty days to obtain a QME panel. Applicant argued UEBTF had failed to complete discovery timely and that further delay was unwarranted. The Appeals Board, noting that removal is an extraordinary remedy, found applicant failed to demonstrate substantial prejudice or irreparable harm and that reconsideration would be an adequate remedy. The Board observed that applicant could simply refile a DOR to return the case to the trial calendar and could raise the issue of whether UEBTF waived protections under Labor Code section 4061(i) at a subsequent hearing. The petition for removal was denied.