How To Avoid Ten Common Mistakes in Your UEBTF Joinder Petition

The Hon. Daniel Dobrin Los Angeles, California

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not the opinions of the State of California Department of Industrial Relations, the Division of Workers’ Compensation, or the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.

Introduction

Few tasks are more difficult in an applicant’s attorney’s practice than actually joining the Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust Fund (UEBTF, also known as UEF). In a case where the applicant is unlucky enough to work for an uninsured employer or is in a disputed employment/coverage situation, this seemingly simple step has been known to stymie forward progress in the case for months or years. As a Workers’ Compensation Judge who has reviewed well over a thousand UEBTF joinder petitions, I would be the first to admit that actually joining UEBTF is rarely easy and usually requires a great deal of attention to detail.