Workers' Compensation

The attorneys of Kollitz & Kollitz have over 80 years of combined experience as attorneys in the workers’ compensation field. Our workers’ compensation practice includes carrier and employer defense, Labor Code Section 132a and Serious & Willful claims, appellate, mediation & arbitration services, subrogation, consulting, expert witness services and auditing.  Our clients often refer to us their most legally, medically and/or factually challenging and complex cases.  Our firm is also a certified Women and Minority Owned Business.

Our firm philosophy is to, aggressively, represent our clients, keeping in mind the client’s claims handling preferences and the cost-benefit realities.  While it is important to be ready to settle a case at any time, we will not hesitate to take a matter to trial, if necessary.  Applicant’s attorneys know that if the case is taken to trial, we will be thoroughly prepared on all issues, legal, medical and factual.  We pride ourselves in keeping abreast of the changes to both legal practice and claims handling.

Our attorneys have a background in every aspect of  workers’ compensation.  We have knowledge and experience in related areas of law including labor arbitrations, CalOsha matters, Sexual Harassment, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Family Medical Leave Act.  We have been involved in matters before the WCALJ’s, the WCAB Commissioners on reconsideration, the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.  Defense experience includes house counsel for carriers, and representation of carriers, self-insured employers and third party claims administrators.   The members’ activities include: lectured and taught classes on workers’ compensation to various organizations, taught law school classes in both workers’ compensation and legal ethics, taught elementary school, served as a Presiding Workers’ Compensation Judge, edited a workers’ compensation publication, been a California Court of Appeal research attorney in workers’ compensation matters, and clerked in the United States Federal District Court. In addition, the firm has been handling asbestos issues for over 30 years, appearing in both Northern and Southern California at the WCAB offices where asbestos cases are heard.  Our firm has defended, successfully, employers in Labor Code Section 132a Discrimination Claims, obtaining a “take nothing”. We also have experience in coordination with civil defense counsel on workers’ compensation and employment civil litigation.

We regularly appear in all the WCAB district offices in Los Angeles, Orange, Fresno and San Bernardino Counties.  We handle cases in Ventura, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Kern (Bakersfield) Counties.  We also handle cases in Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, and as far north as Redding. We have handled appellate matters throughout the State. Our firm has the honor of being the exclusive counsel in Southern California for two of our clients, exclusive counsel for the entire State of California for another client, and for yet another client, we are exclusive counsel for all Southern California Workers’ Compensation claims from Ventura and Kern Counties South.

Our firm handles defense work for carriers, self-insured/self administered employers, third-party claims administrators (TPA), self-insured employers via TPA, and employer organizations.  Our representation of some clients goes back over thirty years. We are proud to include among our clients: Chicago Bridge & Iron (construction workers); Southern California Gas Company (office and field utility workers); Broadspire - Fresno, Brea and Folsom Offices; Sompo America Insurance Company;  Pacific Gas & Electric, Zurich Insurance Company and In & Out.