GEKLAW
    • Our Practice
    • Our Attorneys
    • Our Successes >>
      • Automobile Accidents
      • Bicycle Accidents
        • Advocacy
        • Bicycle Safety
        • Bicycle Product Liability
        • Bicycle Insurance
        • Legally Speaking
        • Related Links
      • Brain Injury
      • Construction Accidents
      • Defective Products
      • Elder Abuse
      • Employment
      • General Negligence
      • Insurance Bad Faith
      • Medical Malpractice
      • Spinal Injury
      • Toxic Substances
      • Unsafe Premises
      • Wrongful Death
    • Our Practice
    • Our Attorneys
    • Hurt at Work? >>
      •      Injuries and Illnesses Covered
      •      Benefits
      •      Frequently Asked Questions
      •      Personal Physician Pre-Designation Form   
    • Medical Mileage Expense Forms
    • Peace Officer Benefits/Education >>
      • California Workers Can Continue to Pre-Designate a Physician
      • Special Labor Code Sections
      • Choosing New Medical QME Panel
      • Victory from California Supreme Court for Injured Workers
"Gordon, Edelstein is one of the most professional firms that I have dealt with. They have done a lot to educate our members about the laws pertaining to both workplace and personal injuries. When one of our members has been injured, the firm's professionals have clearly explained the options. In all of their dealings with us, they have been responsive, courteous and honest."
Mr. Rod Diamond
English | Español    
Free Case Evaluation

Join our Newsletter

Geklaw Recognized

News
Court Clarifies Procedure for Spinal Surgery Disputes in Workers’ Compensation Cases 
Firm Is Committed To Ensuring Safety and Justice for Bicyclists
A Win for California Workers in the Form of Senate Bill 186
Nurses Face Unique Workplace Challenges
  More News »


Sign up for our Newsletter

If you would like to receive our newsletter by mail, please give us your email address.
Get all of the latest news and information right in your inbox.

Latest Newsletter Story

A Win for California Workers in the Form of Senate Bill 186

Newsletter

Finally, some good news from Sacramento. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed Senate Bill 186, which enables workers injured on the job to continue to pre-designate a physician in the event of a future work injury. Had the governor vetoed the bill, this right would have been eliminated as of December 31, 2009.

"This is a huge victory for California workers," says Mark Edelstein, a partner in the law firm of Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein. "With that December 31st ending date eliminated, injured workers can continue to be cared for by a doctor who knows their medical history and with whom they have built a relationship—not a physician assigned to them by their employer. In most cases, this enables the physician to provide effective treatment and make the appropriate referrals, enabling the injured worker to return to his or her job more quickly."

As set forth in the 2004 Workers' Compensation "Reform" (Senate Bill 899), if an employer has a Medical Provider Network (MPN) to treat injured employees, a worker must usually be treated by a doctor in that network unless he or she pre-designates.

"It is imperative that workers advise their employers in writing before an injury that if they're hurt on the job they want to be treated by their personal physician," says Edelstein. (Click here for a copy of the Pre-Designation form; be sure to read the stipulations outlined therein.)

"The passage of SB 186 is an example of how Workers' Compensation Laws have been changing on an almost daily basis since 2004. Legal representation is vital for injured workers in California even with this latest positive turn of events.

"Schwarzenegger's signing of the bill surprised many advocates of workers' rights, particularly because he vetoed a similar bill in 2008. We will gladly 'take this win' for California's workers, and our firm will continue to stay abreast of the rapidly changing trends in Workers' Compensation Laws so that we can provide our clients with the best representation possible."

Twitter Facebook MySpace Digg Subscribe

© 2009 Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein  ·  Disclaimer  ·  Privacy  ·  Articles ·  Site Map
    3580 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1800 - Los Angeles, CA 90010 | 213.739.7000 direct - 213.386.1671 fax


LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This web site is for informational purposes only.
If you are seeking legal advice or representation, please contact us at 213 739-7000.

Pursuant to Labor Code Section 5432(a), making a false or fraudulent workers' compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison
or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.