Workers Compensation Terms and Definitions

Temporary Patial Disability (TPD) A wage replacement benefit that may be paid when you return to work but at less than full earnings. Sometimes referred to as Wage Loss. Settlement A workers' compensation cases may be settled in one of two ways, by a Compromise and Release (C&R) or by a Stipulation with Request for Award (Stip). A C&R usually settles all outstanding issues in a claim for a single lump sum payment. A Stipulation may leave certain issues open, such as future medical treatment and/or vocational rehabilition. Claims Administrator This is the term for insurance companies and others who handle your workers' compensation claim. State Disability Insurance (SDI): A branch of the Employment Development Department that pays temporary disability benefits for non-industrial injuries or illnesses. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) The judicial unit that formally resolves workers' compensation disputes. Uninsured Employers Fund (UEF) If your employer is illegally uninsured, this fund may provide benefits to you. Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge Judges at DWC district offices that conduct hearings, take evidence, issue decisions, and approve settlements. Consultative Rating A rating of permanent disability provided by the DWC Disability Evaluation Unit when a claim is litigated or if the injured worker has an attorney. See Permanent Disability Rating. Panel Qualified Medical Evaluator A list of three independent qualified medical evaluators issued by the state Industrial Medical Council. You select any one of the three doctors for your evaluation. This is for workers not represented by an attorney. Application for Adjudication of Claim (Application or App) Filing this form establishes a case before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB). A WCAB case number will be assigned.

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	Did You Know?
	OSHA has developed final "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence OSHA has developed final "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers" and draft guidelines for night retail establishments. The intent of the guidelines is to educate employers on finding ways to provide a more secure work environment. Consequently, OSHA hopes that employers will voluntarily implement workplace violence protection programs. Workplace violence has emerged as an important safety issue in today's workplaces. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) fatality data, assaults and violent acts caused 20 percent of the fatal occupational injuries in the United States in 1994.