Los Angeles WCAB District Office

The largest workers' compensation court in California.

Before you go

Security — the strictest in the system. Metal detectors and x-ray screening at entry. Allow extra time, especially on conference-heavy mornings when the line backs into the lobby.

Parking. Street parking downtown is limited and actively enforced. Paid lots run $5 to $14 a day; the lot adjacent to the building is about $13. Budget for a full day — a conference can run long, and a citation while you are on the ninth floor is a genuinely bad outcome.

Transit — the best-served WCAB office in the region. Metro B/D Line (Red/Purple) to Pershing Square, then the 4th Street stairwell. For most people this is easier and cheaper than driving.

And a rule that catches people: no food, gum, or drink other than bottled water on the 9th floor.

What is remote and what is not

Walk-through hours follow the standard window: 8:00–11:00 a.m. and 1:00–4:00 p.m.

What actually happens at each one

A status conference is housekeeping — discovery status and scheduling. Short.

A Mandatory Settlement Conference is where most cases end. And it is where discovery closes. Under § 5502(d)(3), evidence not disclosed by the MSC is generally inadmissible at trial — which makes it the most consequential hour in the case whether or not it settles. Why.

A trial is before a judge, no jury, mostly documentary, with short live testimony. The decision is not issued from the bench.

An expedited hearing is for urgent issues — treatment and temporary disability — and it is in person.

Who is heard here

The Los Angeles office serves central Los Angeles and the surrounding communities, by ZIP code. In practice that means downtown, the garment and fashion districts, Koreatown, Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, Hollywood, Echo Park, and the neighborhoods in between.

The claims that come through this building reflect that: hotel and hospitality, garment and apparel, restaurant and food service, janitorial and building services, film and television production, healthcare, construction, and security.

More on Los Angeles claims.

Interpreters are free

You are entitled to an interpreter at Appeals Board hearings, at depositions, at medical-legal examinations, and at medical treatment appointments — at no cost to you. The authority differs by setting: a qualified interpreter at medical treatment appointments under § 4600(g), a certified interpreter at a medical examination requested by the employer or the Board under § 4600(f), one at your deposition under § 5710(b)(5), and one at hearings under § 5811(b)(2) and 8 CCR §§ 9795.1.5 / 9795.3.

Do not bring a family member to interpret at a hearing or a medical-legal exam. You are entitled to a professional. Your interpreter rights.

Frequently asked questions