What the panel ordered
Petition for reconsideration granted; WCJ's decision amended to award 52% unapportioned permanent disability; lumbar spine impairment rated under DRE Category II affirmed; further medical treatment ordered; attorney fees and lien payments addressed.
Applicant sought reconsideration of the WCJ's Findings of Fact, Awards & Order of October 1, 2024, which found 43% permanent disability after apportionment; the WCAB granted reconsideration and issued a decision after reconsideration on December 27, 2024.
What was disputed, and how it came out
Each issue the panel decided, with the reasoning it gave. An outcome is what this panel did on this record — not a rule, and not a prediction.
The WCAB found that the apportionment opinions of Dr. Gabriel and Dr. Pietruszka were conclusory and lacked substantial medical evidence, entitling the applicant to an unapportioned award of permanent disability.
From the decision · page 4Dr. Gabriel's and Dr. Pietruszka's explanations of apportionment are conclusory and do
The facts that decided it
What the panel treated as outcome-determinative, and which side it favoured.