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PanelRemanded

Ranulfo Zuniga — ADJ10508158

RANULFO ZUNIGA, Applicant vs. UNINSURED EMPLOYERS BENEFITS TRUST FUND; SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN TRUST; CATHY MANN, individually; RODNEY MANN, individually; MID CENTURY INSURANCE; and UNIVERSITY INVESTMENTS, Defendants

ADJ number: ADJ10508158
Decision date: Jun 15, 2026
District office: San Jose District Office
WCJ: —
Claim administrator: Mid Century Insurance Company (Farmers Insurance)
Commissioners: KATHERINE A. ZALEWSKI, CHAIR, LISA A. SUSSMAN, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, JOSEPH V. CAPURRO, COMMISSIONER

Injury / body parts: right hand, fingers

LC §3300LC §3351LC §3352LC §3357LC §5275

Summary

Applicant Ranulfo Zuniga, a construction laborer/carpenter, injured his right hand and fingers using a table saw on May 25, 2016, while doing gate repairs at the Rutherford home of Cathy and Rodney Mann. He had previously worked at the Burke property remodel owned by Santa Cruz Mountain Trust (SCMT). The WCJ found employment by Cathy Mann, found Mid-Century/Farmers homeowner's coverage, and rejected the casual employment exclusion. On reconsideration, the WCAB affirmed the finding of employment with Cathy Mann and AOE/COE injury but rescinded the F&A to defer the issues of insurance coverage (which was never listed as a trial issue) and whether other entities (SCMT, Rodney Mann, University Investments) also employed applicant, remanding for further proceedings including general/special employment analysis.

Issues

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Holding

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Analysis

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Applicant takeaway

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Defense takeaway

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Provider takeaway

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Similar decisions

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Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

Full case search with summaries, PDFs, holdings, and filters is included with Member. This block is a decorative placeholder so the page layout is visible without exposing restricted text. Sign in or subscribe to Member to read the complete decision. The panel considered the record, the applicable statutes, and the arguments of the parties. Member is $25/month or $250/year and includes the weekly email digest, full case search, and bookmarks.

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