What the panel ordered
The Appeals Board denied the defendant's petition for removal, affirming the WCJ's finding that a replacement QME panel was warranted.
Defendant filed a petition for removal from the WCJ's decision issued on February 9, 2026, which found good cause for a replacement QME panel due to unavailability of the initial QME.
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 WCJ properly applied the Vazquez factors and found good cause for replacement due to QME unavailability, and the Appeals Board found no abuse of discretion in denying removal.
From the decision · page 1Defendant has filed a petition for removal from the "Finding(s), Order(s), and Opinion on Decision" issued on February 9, 2026, by the workers' compensation administrative law judge (WCJ). The WCJ found that applicant established good cause for a replacement panel due to the unavailability of the qualified medical evaluator (QME) to set an initial evaluation appointment.
The facts that decided it
What the panel treated as outcome-determinative, and which side it favoured.