After issuing a notice of intent on April 10, 2024, and having received and reviewed the responses of Susan Garrett and Lance Garrett, on May 16, 2024, the Appeals Board issued an en banc order imposing sanctions and costs in eight cases collectively of $20,000.00 against attorney Susan Garrett (CA BAR #195580) in eight (8) instances where she filed petitions for reconsideration with willful intent to disrupt or delay the proceedings of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board or with an improper motive, or where it appeared that such actions were indisputably without merit.

The Appeals Board issued a second order imposing costs and sanctions collectively of $20,000.00 against hearing representative Lance Garrett in eight (8) instances where he filed petitions for reconsideration with willful intent to disrupt or delay the proceedings of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board or with an improper motive, or where it appeared that such actions were indisputably without merit.

Prior to these orders the Garretts were provided with a Notice of Intent and were given an opportunity to present their defense to the charges.

The WCAB characterized the response by writing “Susan Garrett and Lance Garrett’s responses trivialize the act of filing multiple frivolous petitions for reconsideration as an ‘inconvenience.’ However, their conduct here goes far beyond inconvenience. The filing of frivolous petitions for reconsideration significantly hampers the work of the Appeals Board. Each petition costs significant time and resources and delays the issuance of other decisions pending at the Appeals Board. More significantly, it delays a determination of applicant’s benefits in each of the cases at bar.”

And that may have precipitated the WCAB to seek even more than the $40,000 total sanction imposed thus far. The WCAB just announced two new groups of cases where it intends to impose even more sanctions, and has issued it’s Notice of Intent, En Banc, accordingly.

On June 17, 2024, in Abel Hidalgo, et al vs. Roman Catholic Archbishop, permissibly self-insured, Case Nos. ADJ13332737, ADJ15218980, ADJ12640295, the Appeals Board issued an en banc order consolidating three cases and issued a notice of intention to impose costs and sanctions collectively up to $7,500.00 against attorney Susan Garrett (CA BAR #195580) in three (3) instances where it appeared that she filed petitions for reconsideration with willful intent to disrupt or delay the proceedings of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board or with an improper motive, or where it appeared that such actions were indisputably without merit.

In the same case the Appeals Board issued a second notice of intention to impose costs and sanctions collectively up to $7,500.00 against hearing representative Lance Garrett in three (3) instances where it appeared that he filed petitions for reconsideration with willful intent to disrupt or delay the proceedings of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board or with an improper motive, or where it appeared thaIt such actions were indisputably without merit. Garrett has 20 plus 5 days to file a response to the notice.

And also in Guillermo Gonzalez, et al vs. The Bicycle Casino; Arch Indemnity Ins. Co., administered by Gallagher Bassett, et al.Case No. ADJ12226694, ADJ12414651, ADJ12414992, ADJ12414993, two nearly identical Notices of Intent for two instances of alleged sanctionable conduct, and each are subject to an additional $5000.

They both have 25 days to respond to the Notice of Intent.