Martha Herrera — ADJ8215781

Martha Herrera, a housekeeper who also cared for two young children in the same household, was found by the WCJ to have sustained cumulative industrial injury to multiple body parts (neck, right shoulder, low back, sleep, both wrists, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, stomach, fibromyalgia, and psyche) resulting in 100% permanent disability. Defendant sought reconsideration arguing that the 100% PD was unsupported by vocational or medical evidence of total loss of earning capacity, that wrong occupational codes and rating errors were used, and that the AMEs failed to provide the ADL analysis required to rebut the Combined Values Chart under Vigil. The Appeals Board granted reconsideration solely to correct the occupational group number for the sleep and psychiatric impairments (applying the higher variant per body part given applicant's dual occupations), but otherwise affirmed. The Board found the AME reports (Drs. Luciano, Markovitz, and Jacks) constituted substantial evidence supporting adding certain impairments (bilateral wrists as synergistic; skin and GI as non-overlapping) and combining overlapping systemic/musculoskeletal impairments via CVC. The recalculated rating aggregated to 118% PD, well above the 100% total disability threshold, so the 100% PD award was affirmed.