Finnegan, Marks, Theofel & Desmond is proud to have transformed the practice of workers' compensation in California, through numerous appellate cases favorable to defendants.  Significant decisions include:

​California Highway Patrol v. WCAB (Margaris) (2016)  [Provided Amicus support to obtain Court of Appeal ruling that held IMR's 30-day decision requirement was discretionary and not mandatory] 
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Contra Costa County v. WCAB (Dahl) (2015) 240 Cal.App. 4th 746 [Provided Amicus support to obtain Court of Appeal ruling that requires determination whether EE can benefit from V.R. before scheduled rating can be challenged] 

Angelotti v WCAB (2015) U.S. App. Lexis 11063 [Helped obtain Federal Court approval of lien activation fee as within the Legislature’s constitutional authority] 
 
​State Farm Ins. Group v. WCAB (Lutz) (B240742, pub. ord. 07/25/13) [a rare appellate victory against CIGA, requiring the WCAB to apply principles of res judicata when evaluating efforts by CIGA to avoid legal consequences of agreements entered into by CIGA or the insolvent insurer that are no longer subject to reopening or judicial review]

Duncan/Baxter v. WCAB (X.S.) (2011) 52 Cal. 4th 434, 76 CCC 701 [presented oral argument before the Supreme Court, resulting in unanimous decision adopting defense position for start date of COLA increases in total disability and life pension cases]

SB Surgery Center v. WCAB (Tapia) (2008) 73 CCC 1338 [en banc decision requiring lien claimants to affirmatively demonstrate the reasonableness of their own charges]

Hertz v. WCAB (Aguilar) (2008) 169 Cal. App. 4th 232 [Court of Appeal decision permitting apportionment of non-industrial vocational factors in a LeBoeuf claim]

Boughner v. CompUSA/Zurich (2008) 73 CCC 854 [en banc decision upholding the validity of the new Permanent Disability Rating Schedule against an attack by CAAA on the DFEC factor]

Brodie v. WCAB / Welcher v. WCAB (2007) 40 Cal. 4th 1313 , 57 Cal. Rptr. 3rd 644, 72 CCC 565 [unanimous Supreme Court decision overruling Dykes / Nabors, and instead confirming that apportionment calculations are to be made pursuant to Formula A, mandating the subtraction of percentages of disability in all cases of apportionment] 

Yeager Construction v. WCAB (Gatten) (2006) 145 Cal. App. 4th 922, 52 Cal. Rptr. 3rd 133, 71 CCC 1687 [finding substantial evidence supporting award of apportionment under L.C. section 4663, based on Escobedo]

Six Flags v. WCAB (Rackchamroon) (2006) 145 Cal. App. 4th 91, 51 Cal. Rptr. 3d 377, 71 CCC 1759 [holding that a statutory benefit to injured worker's estate was unconstitutional on the basis of extensive legislative history provided to court]

Aldi v. Carr, McClellan, Ingersoll, Thompson & Horn/Republic Indemnity (2006) 71 CCC 783 (en banc) [proper application of revised rating schedule to pre-1/1/05 injuries]

Escobedo v. WCAB (2005) 70 CCC 604 (en banc) [new Labor Code section 4663 permits apportionment to pre-existing non-disabling conditions, including pathology, if supported by substantial medical evidence]

Rio Linda School Dist. v. WCAB (Scheftner) (2005) 131 Cal. App. 4th 517, 31 Cal. Rptr. 3d 789, 70 CCC 999 [new laws on apportionment under Labor Code sections 4663 and 4664, as enacted by SB 899, apply to all pending cases regardless of whether an interlocutory order has issued]

Green v. WCAB (2005) 127 Cal. App. 4th 1426, 26 Cal. Rptr. 3d 527, 70 CCC 294 [new penalty rules under Labor Code section 5814, as provided by SB 899, apply to all pending cases regardless of date of injury] 

Honeywell v. WCAB (Wagner) (2005) 35 Cal. 4th 24, 24 Cal. Rptr. 3d 179, 70 CCC 97 [Supreme Court held that 90-day period for employer to deny claim and avoid presumption of compensability runs from date applicant files Claim Form with employer]

Miranda v. WCAB (2004) 69 CCC 1102 [PTP presumption of correctness rebutted]

PG&E v. WCAB (Bryan) (2004) 114 Cal. App. 4th 1174, 8 Cal. Rptr. 3d 467, 69 CCC 21 [actual events of employment for psychiatric injury] 

Wal-Mart v. WCAB (Garcia) (2003) 112 Cal. App. 4th 1435, 5 Cal. Rptr. 3d 822, 68 CCC 1575 [psychiatric compensable consequences - six-month requirement] 

Daly v. WCAB (2002) 67 CCC 1660 [rebuttal of PTP presumption of correctness] 

The 4600 Group v. WCAB (2002) 67 CCC 1194 [lien claimant's burden of proof] 

Lockheed Martin v. WCAB (McCullough) (2002) 96 Cal. App. 4th 1237, 117 Cal. Rptr.2d 865, 67 CCC 245 [psychiatric compensable consequences - predominant causation] 

Sanabrea v. WCAB (2001) 66 CCC 987 [substantial medical evidence] 

County of San Luis Obispo v. WCAB (Barnes) (2001) 92 Cal. App.4th 869, 112 Cal. Rptr.2d 246, 66 CCC 1261 [proportionality in penalty assessment] 

Pacific Bell v. WCAB (Russell) (2001) 66 CCC 832 [insufficiency of WCAB decision] 

Rosales v. Depuy Ace Medical (2000) 22 Cal. 4th 279, 92 Cal. Rptr. 2d 279, 65 CCC 150 [exclusivity rule] 

UPS v. WCAB (Gonzales) (1999) 64 CCC 51 (Third District Court of Appeal) [132a violation] 

Polte v. WCAB (1998) 63 CCC 1556 [sufficiency of evidence] 

Stuart v. WCAB (1998) 18 Cal. 4th 1209, 77 Cal. Rptr. 2d 528, 63 CCC 916 [penalty for inadvertent delay] 

Avalon Bay Foods v. WCAB (Moore) (1998) 18 Cal. 4th 1165, 77 Cal. Rptr. 2d 552, 63 CCC 902 [species of benefit for penalty] 

Mar v. WCAB (1998) 63 CCC 771 [settlement of vocational rehabilitation costs] 

Green v. WCAB (1998) 63 CCC 240 [new and further disability] 

Estrada v. WCAB (1997) 58 Cal. App. 4th 1458, 69 Cal. Rptr. 2d 176, 62 CCC 1384 [settlement of vocational rehabilitation] 

Christian v. WCAB (1997) 15 Cal. 4th 505, 63 Cal. Rptr. 2d 336, 62 CCC 576 [multiple penalties] 

Buza v. WCAB (1997) 62 CCC 1597 [retroactive VRMA] 

Blevins v. WCAB (1997) 62 CCC 1437 [constitutionality of apportionment laws] 

Bishop v. WCAB (1997) 62 CCC 1137 [statute of limitations for VR] 

Tri-Spur Investments v. WCAB (1996) 61 CCC 940 [dismissal of employer] 

Saldana v. WCAB (1994) 59 CCC 1109 [penalty during disputed liability] 

Reives v. WCAB (1992) 57 CCC 767 [substantial evidence for psychiatric injury] 

Reynaga v. WCAB (1991) 56 CCC 606 [res judicata and employer negligence] 

Johnson v. WCAB (1991) 56 CCC 319 [132a discrimination under union contract] 
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Insurance Co. of North America v. WCAB (Baldinelli) (1991) 56 CCC 223 [insurance coverage]