Commonly Used Terms
| ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act (Federal) |
| ALJ | Administrative Law Judge |
| AME | Agreed Medical Examiner, Examination, or Evaluator |
| AME Dance | Requirement parties must attempt to agree to an AME when Employee is represented |
| ANSWER | A formal response by the party, usually the employer or employer’’s representative, opposing the Application |
| AOE/COE | Arising Out Of employment and occurring in the Course of Employment |
| Ap or App | Application for Adjudication of Claim, usually filed by the employee or his or her representative; usually spoken, with the full word, “application” used in written form |
| AWARD | Award by WCAB, as in “funding and Award,” or F & A |
| AWW or AWE | Average Weekly Wage or Earnings |
| Baseball Arbitration | Ratings proposed by each party contesting other’’s QME, L.C. |
| Board | Workers” Compensation Appeals Board |
| Bureau | Rehabilitation Bureau, now Rehabilitation Unit |
| C and R or C&R | Compromise and Release, a final settlement in Comp. |
| COE | Course of Employment, see “AOE/COE,” above |
| Commutation | Reducing a sum of money due at a certain rate, for a period of time, to its present value |
| Comp | Workers” Compensation |
| Counselor | Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, see QRR |
| CT | Cumulative Trauma |
| DA, D/A, DOI | Date of Accident or Injury (D.A. is District Attorney) |
| DC or DefAtty | Defense Counsel or Attorney (D.C. = Dr. of Chiropractic) |
| Def. | Defendant, E.G. an employer or representative |
| Demand | An offer to settle made by employee; a counter offer by the defendant is called “Offer” |
| Depo | Deposition |
| DEU | Disability Evaluation Unit |
| DI, D/I, or DOI | Date of Injury |
| DR, DRP or DOR | Declaration of Readiness to Proceed |
| DWC | Division of Workers” Compensation |
| DWC-1 | Claim Form |
| EDD | Employment Development Department. It provides State Disability Insurance, i.e. State Disability or SDI |
| EE or ee | Employee and/or representative |
| EEOC | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Federal) |
| Employer, ER or Def | Employer, Insurance Carrier, self-insurance administrator and/or representative |
| EOP | Explanation of Payment (i.e. describing &/or summarizing) |
| ERISA | Federal law governing retirement plans |
| F and A | Finding and Award, a decision by the WCAB |
| FA & O | Finding Award and Order |
| Far End | Commutation off the far end of the Award, i.e., calculated from the end of a series of payments back towards present |
| FCE | Functional Capacity Evaluation |
| FEHA | Fair Employment Housing Act (State anti-discrimination) |
| FEHC | Fair Employment Housing Commission |
| FME | Formal Medical Evaluation |
| FRC | Formal Rehabilitation Conference |
| Going and Coming | General rule that injuries during a normal commute are not industrial, with many exceptions |
| I and A Officer | Information and Assistance Officer |
| IDL | Industrial Disability Leave (State employees) |
| IJ or IW | Injured person or Worker, also commonly referred to as “ee” or “applicant” |
| IME | Independent or Impartial Medical Examiner appointed by WCAB (not a doctor chosen by a party); se “QME” or Qualified Medical Examiner for injuries o/a 1/1/90 |
| In Pro Per | An individual acting as his or her own attorney |
| JA | Job Analysis. A detailed description of job duties, drawn up by a QRR, signed by employee and employer |
| Judge | Since 1993, L.C. 27 has changed Workers” Compensation “Judge” (WCJ) to “Referee,” (WCR) then to “Workers” Compensation Administrative Law Judge,” called a “WCJ” |
| L.C. | Labor Code of California, as cited in Workers” Compensation Laws of California which contains the Labor Code and most other laws relating to Workers” Comp in this state. It is often called, “The Labor Code Book,” but it contains much more. |
| LTD | Long Term Disability |
| New and Further | Petition to Reopen for New and Further Disability |
| NOPE | Notice of Potential Eligibility for vocational rehabilitation |
| OACR | Order Approving C&R |
| Occupational Group | Numbered groups of occupations from the Schedule for Evaluation of Permanent Disability, two-digit numbers for injuries up to 3-31-97 and three-digit on or after 4-1-97 |
| OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Act |
| OTOC | Order Taking off Calendar |
| P & S | Permanent and Stationary |
| PD or PPD | Permanent Disability or Permanent Partial Disability Indemnity |
| PDA | Permanent Disability Advance |
| PDR | Permanent Disability Rating |
| PERS | Public Employees” Retirement System |
| Petition | A pleading or prayer for relief, e.g., a Petition for a Writ of Review or the enforcement of an Award |
| Prima Facie | The bare minimum elements of a claim, which if not refuted, will allow a party to prevail |
| Pro Per | A person is “in pro per,” when acting as their own attorney |
| PR-2 | Primary Treating Physician’’s progress Report |
| PR-3 | Primary Treating Physician’’s permanent and Stationary Report |
| PRN | as needed, an indicated (medical term for future treatment) |
| PSI | Permissible Self-Insured |
| PTP | Primary Treating Physician |
| QIW | Qualified Injured Worker |
| QME | Qualified Medical Evaluator, Examiner or Examination |
| QRR | Qualified Rehabilitation Representative (Vendor) |
| Rating | A calculation of the percentage of permanent disability |
| RB | Rehabilitation Bureau, now called the Rehabilitation Unit |
| Recon | Petition for Reconsideration, the first level of appeal of a workers” compensation case |
| Rehab or Voc Rehab | Vocational rehabilitation as opposed to medical rehabilitation or treatment following an injury. It includes services reasonably necessary to return an injured employee to work |
| Retro | Retroactive benefits claimed, e.g. “retro VRMA” |
| RRTW | Release to Return to Work |
| RTW | Return to Work |
| RU | Rehabilitation Unit, formerly the Rehabilitation Bureau |
| S & W | Serious and Willful misconduct of employee or employer |
| Schedule | Schedule for Evaluation of Permanent Disability (“Old” schedule is used for injuries prior to 4-1-97 and “New” Schedule for injuries on or after 4-1-97) |
| SCIF | State Compensation Insurance Fund, pronounced “skiff” |
| Self-Procured | Medical treatment of employee which has not been authorized by the employer |
| SIF | Subsequent Injuries Fund |
| SGE | Suitable Gainful Employment |
| SII | Self-Imposed Increase; payment per L.C. |
| SOL | Statute of Limitations |
| SSA | Social Security Administration |
| SSD | Social Security Disability |
| SSI | Supplemental Security Income (Social Security) |
| SSN | Social Security Number |
| Standard Rating | A level of PD before adjusting for age and occupation |
| State Disability | Payment by the Employmet Development Dept (EDD) |
| Statute | Statute of Limitations |
| Stip or Stips | Stipulations with Request for Award, signed by the parties. Following approval by the WCABm “and Award” is added |
| Sub Rosa | Private Investigation, usually now on video tape; used to impeach employee as to activities |
| TD, TTD or TDI | Temporary Total Disability Indemnity |
| Tort | A civil claim, e.g., for negligent operation of a motor nehicle casusing a personal injury |
| TPD | Tempory Partial Disability indemnity |
| U and C | Usual and Customary employment |
| UEF | Uninsured Employers Fund |
| UEX | Upper Extremities; BUE, Bilateral upper extremities |
| UI | Unemployment Insurance |
| UIAB | Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board |
| VA | Veteran’’s Administration |
| VR | Vocational Rehabilitation or “Rehab” |
| VRMA | Vocational Rehabilitation Maintenance Allowance |
| VRTD | Vocational Rehabilitation Temporary Total Disability |
| W-2 | Earnings statement for tax purposes showing annual wages |
| W/C or W.C. | Workers” Compensation or “Work Comp” |
| WCAB | Workers” Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau |
| WCJ | Workers” Compensation Judge, changed to “workers” compensation administrative law judge”, but “WCJ or “Judge” is used almost exclusively |
Reprinted with permission from The Law Offices of Pegnim & Ivancich website at www.PegnimLaw.com.