Relocation to Affect More Than Injured Workers

Your Oct. 26 article emphasized the inability of injured workers to get to the Workers Compensation Appeals Board if it is relocated to Agoura.

The relocation will not only affect injured workers but will cause the relocation of board employees and all support industries having business at the board.

The financial impact on the Ventura County area will be significant in that insurance companies, applicant and defense law firms, court reporters, doctors and medical clinics, rehabilitation centers/counselors, interpreters and investigation agencies will relocate in order to be closer to the appeals board.

Those opposing the move to Agoura include not only applicant lawyers and injured workers, but also business leaders in the Ventura community who anticipate increased insurance premiums as a result of insurance agencies and ancillary services being relocated.

Martin V. Smith & Associates, the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, council members from the city of Santa Paula, the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce and Oxnard’s mayor have all gone on record opposing this relocation.

It should be noted that the decision to move the appeals board out of Ventura County was made without any public input whatsoever.

We appreciate that the West Valley needs additional services to handle their workers compensation matters. However, it should not be done at the expense of Ventura County, which is growing at an equally rapid rate.

DEIRDRE BARKLEY FRANK

IRVING ROSENFELD

Oxnard

The writers are partners in the Oxnard law firm of Frank & Rosenfeld.