Robert Rassp: Basics of WC Benefits

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode are Judge Robert Rassp’s personal opinions and do not reflect the official position of the State of California, Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), or the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB).

In this episode of Deconstructing Comp, Yvonne and Rafael are joined by Judge Robert Rassp for a straightforward discussion about the fundamental benefits of workers’ compensation and why they are important.

Judge Rassp walks us through the foundation of the system, from medical treatment to temporary and permanent disability benefits, and explains how these core protections are designed to support injured employees while balancing employer responsibilities.

The conversation also explores how utilization review, independent medical review, and evolving case law influence the delivery of these benefits. Judge Rassp emphasizes the importance of fairness, education, and due process in ensuring that both injured employees and employers understand the system and can navigate it effectively.

According to Rassp: “Temporary disability keeps food on the table during recovery. Permanent disability recognizes when someone’s life has been permanently changed by an injury.”

Please join us for this informative episode with one of our industry's most experienced and esteemed educators. Judge Rassp is also an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University's Caruso School of Law, where he teaches workers' compensation law, and he's a founding member of the CC&R Band, a parody band that performs classic rock and roll hits at many Southern California industry events.  

Key Terms from the Episode:

• Medical Treatment – Care provided to cure or relieve the effects of a work-related injury or illness.
• Temporary Disability (TD) – Wage replacement benefits provided to an injured employee while recovering and unable to work.
• Permanent Disability (PD) – Benefits awarded when an injured employee has lasting impairment that affects their ability to earn wages.
• Causation – the link establishing that an injury or illness arose out of and in the course of employment, or more simply put, that the injured employee's work contributed to their injury or illness. This is also referred to as AOE/COE.
• WCAB (Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board) – The judicial body that adjudicates disputes in California’s workers’ compensation system.
• Utilization Review (UR) – The process by which an employer or insurer evaluates a medical treatment request for appropriateness and necessity.
• Independent Medical Review (IMR) – The appeal process when a treatment request is denied through UR, conducted by an independent physician reviewer.
• Case Law – Published court or WCAB decisions that interpret statutes and guide future workers’ compensation cases.

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