Continuing Legal Education - Voluntary Binding Review

1 Credit Hour

Starting in February, the Board will be offering a 1 credit CLE presentation on a new administrative appeals process, Voluntary Binding Review (VBR). VBR is an alternative appeals process, which enables parties (represented injured workers, insurers, and self-insured employers) to an administrative review, to collectively and voluntarily agree to apply to enter into an alternate appeals process, which would expedite the resolution over disputed compensation.

Currently, the only method available to injured workers, employers, and insurers for resolving a dispute about a determination of compensation by a Workers' Compensation Law Judge is to file for administrative review, and wait for the decision by the three-member panel per WCL § 23. VBR offers a way to resolve applications for administrative review in an accelerated timeframe, when the decision concerns issues that can be distilled to a monetary value, such as the amount of compensation.

During this presentation, David Wertheim, Associate Counsel and Director of the Office of Issue Resolution, and Eric London, Director of the Conciliation Bureau, will describe all components of VBR to ensure that attorneys understand how to use this new appeals process, and explore ways of identifying appropriate cases that may lend themselves to this process. This is an excellent opportunity for attorneys to learn how this new tool can help expedite certain appeals.

*If you plan on attending a CLE course, please email Outreach@wcb.ny.gov and indicate the location of the CLE you plan on attending. This presentation is only available to attorneys and licensed hearing representatives.

Learning Objectives:

1. Introduction of VBR
2. VBR Process Overview
3. Parameters of Acceptance
4. VBR Scenarios
5. Question and Answers

The Buffalo and Rochester CLE dates have been rescheduled to the dates in the chart below.