UPDATE: Limited Lien conference coming back June 8, 2020

​DWC and WCAB Continue to Expand Hearing Schedule at the District Offices
The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) and Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) continue to improve their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following changes are effective June 8:

Updated Hearing Procedures Starting June 8:

DWC will continue to hear all mandatory settlement conferences, priority conferences, status conferences, case-in-chief trials and expedited hearings telephonically via the individually assigned judges’ conference lines as announced in DWC’s Newslines issued on April 3 and April 28.

Beginning June 8, DWC will hear up to 3 lien conferences per judge per calendar session via the individually assigned judges’ conference lines. Lien conferences in excess of that number will be continued. 

All parties scheduled for a hearing should call the conference line for the judge in front of whom the case is set, at the designated time listed on the hearing notice. When prompted, the parties should enter the access code assigned to that line. DWC staff will instruct participants as to the procedure to follow during the call.

All lien trials will be continued during this time. District offices will not hold in-person hearings.

Continuing Filing Procedures:

DWC will not accept walk-in filings, walk-through documents, or in-person requests at this time. DWC will only accept electronic filing via EAMS and JET File, and paper filing by U.S. mail.

DWC will accept limited email filings pursuant to WCAB’s en banc dated April 6 and its Newsline issued on April 23. Email filings are limited to documents that are subject to a statute of limitations that cannot otherwise be efiled, JET filed, or filed by U.S. mail.

DWC has posted additional information to assist parties with filing settlement documents in EAMS. Refer to the district office page for email and other contact information.

DWC will continue to accept an electronic signature on any settlement documents, applications, pleadings, petitions or motions that are sent to the district offices or filed in EAMS. For all e-forms, parties should utilize “S signature” as shown in the E-forms Filing Reference Guide and the JET File Business Rules.

Injured workers who are unable to file utilizing the available options or need assistance may contact DWC’s call center at (909) 383-4522.

The WCAB Commissioners' office is closed to the public for in-person inquiries and requests until further notice. The Commissioners and staff are working remotely during the closure.