"I need an interpreter."

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Where you are entitled to one

Four settings, four authorities — and the standard is not the same in all of them:

1. Medical treatment appointments — a qualified interpreter, § 4600(g)
2. Medical-legal examinations — the QME or AME exam — a certified interpreter, § 4600(f)
3. Depositions — a certified interpreter, § 5710(b)(5)
4. Appeals Board hearings — § 5811(b)(2) and 8 CCR §§ 9795.1.5 / 9795.3

The difference matters when you ask. Asking for a "certified interpreter under § 4600(g)" at a treatment appointment invites a "no"; § 4600(g)'s standard there is qualified.

You do not pay for it. It is part of the claim.

The interpreter has to be certified

For hearings, depositions, and arbitrations: the interpreter must be certified — listed by the State Personnel Board or the California courts — or provisionally certified by agreement of the parties or by approval of the judge or arbitrator.

For medical treatment and medical-legal exams: certification through the State Personnel Board or California courts listing, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI), or the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters — with provisional certification available with the claims administrator's consent, or for languages without a standard certification.

This is not a formality. A medical-legal report is only as accurate as the interview it came from. Do not accept a family member, a coworker, or an office staff member as your interpreter at a medical-legal examination. You are entitled to a certified professional, and an inaccurate history in that report follows you through the entire case.

What to do

Say what language you need, in writing, as early as possible — when the appointment is set, not on the day.

If no interpreter appears, say so and do not proceed with a medical-legal examination. An evaluation conducted without one, or with an unqualified one, produces a record you will have to live with.

Ask for your important documents in your language. Many DWC notices and forms are available in Spanish, and the claims administrator's notice obligations are not satisfied by handing you something you cannot read.

And bring a written list of your symptoms and limitations, in your own language, so that nothing depends on remembering it under pressure.

Our office

We handle claims in English, Spanish, and Korean. Consultations are free and there is no obligation.

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