Dana Johnson — ADJ13486537, ADJ19425135

Applicant Dana Johnson sought reconsideration of a WCJ's May 11, 2026 joint findings that there was no good cause to order a replacement QME panel and that defendant had not acted in bad faith warranting sanctions. The dispute arose after defendant unilaterally cancelled applicant's reevaluation with PQME Dr. Phillip Conwisar, who had served as the panel evaluator since 2021, issuing multiple reports and sitting for deposition; applicant appeared for the cancelled November 2024 appointment without knowing it had been cancelled. The WCJ declined to replace Dr. Conwisar, finding he was not 'unavailable,' the cancellation communication was not an impermissible ex parte contact, and replacing the PQME would cause significant prejudice and delay. The Appeals Board granted reconsideration on a preliminary basis, finding the record may be incomplete on the replacement panel and sanctions issues, and deferred a final decision after further study of the record.