Adjudication is the legal process of resolving a dispute of any outstanding issue(s) from a Workers' Compensation claim which may be presented to an Administrative Law Judge. At the onset of a Workers' Compensation case, an Application for Adjudication of Claim may be filed by or on behalf of any injured worker with the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB). This allows the Workers' Compensation court to have jurisdiction, or the right, to resolve disputes that arise regarding a work injury claim.
Within a few days of filing, the parties will receive a Notice of Application. This confirms the court received the Application and identifies the court number that will start with the letters "ADJ" and then have five to seven numbers listed thereafter (i.e. ADJ1234567).
If an injury claim is denied, the Application for Adjudication should be filed as soon as possible, hopefully no more than a year from the date of injury. However, the law regarding how much time there is to file the application is very complex. There are multiple exceptions to the rules, which are even more complicated. Do not assume you cannot pursue Workers' Compensation benefits because time has passed. It is strongly advised that you contact a qualified Workers' Compensation attorney as early in the process as possible to understand your rights.
Many issues can arise regarding the compensation owed as well as medical treatment under Workers' Compensation. An experienced Workers' Compensation attorney can advise you of your rights, which may be different than advice you receive from the insurance adjustor. In addition, such an attorney may be able to resolve any disputes that arise and can proceed to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board for a hearing before a Workers' Compensation judge if the disputes cannot be resolved.