The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) recently held their annual conference, and key among the many developments were discussions surrounding cumulative trauma claims as a key driver of increasing costs in California workers’ compensation.

According to Executive Vice President Tony Milano, indemnity claim frequency increased nearly 18% between 2022 and 2025, while California's rate of permanent partial disability claims reached approximately three times the national median.

The WCIRB also reported that cumulative trauma claims are more likely to be litigated and generally take longer to resolve than other claim types. Panelists cited claim decision deadlines, delays in medical-legal evaluations, and frequent litigation as major contributors to these trends, suggesting that targeted reforms and improved access to early claim information could help reduce delays and improve claim outcomes.

Shortly after the conference, the WCIRB published their 2026 State of the System report, which, among many observations, noted that cumulative trauma claims were the primary driver of frequency increases in California. Furthermore, cumulative trauma claims had several unique characteristics compared to other types of claims, including a high share of claims filed post-termination, high rates of representation, and different medical cost patterns. Additionally, these claims are often reported later and stay open longer.

These findings align with a recent WCIRB report on cumulative trauma claims, published in June.