Marlaina Battle — ADJ10582157

Applicant Marlaina Battle, a patient service representative, sustained an admitted industrial injury on October 20, 2015 to her right upper extremity resulting in CRPS, with disputed injuries to the left upper extremity, left shoulder, psyche, and irritable bowel syndrome. The WCJ found 100% permanent total disability based solely on the CRPS condition, concluding that applicant's vocational expert (Mark Remas) rebutted the 84% scheduled rating by showing she was not feasible for vocational retraining. On reconsideration, the Board affirmed the WCJ's credibility determination regarding applicant's testimony but found the vocational expert reporting analytically incomplete because its conclusions on impaired concentration, persistence, pace, and inability to maintain a routine work schedule were not substantiated or addressed by the medical/medical-legal record. The Board rescinded the F&A and returned the matter for development of the record, requiring medical review of the vocational findings. The Board also provided guidance on the catastrophic injury analysis under Wilson and the proper lateral commutation of attorney's fees from lifetime awards.