Disagree with a California DEU Summary Rating? Reconsideration and Record Checklist

Review the primary official source.

Updated September 20, 2026. Verify the current agency form, notice, and instructions before acting.

A Disability Evaluation Unit summary rating translates medical findings into a permanent-disability percentage; it does not rewrite the doctor’s medical opinion. Before objecting, identify the document, the worker’s representation status, and the alleged error. The California Division of Workers’ Compensation describes a specific reconsideration route for an unrepresented worker who received a summary rating, with grounds and timing tied to the rating notice. A formal rating in a litigated case, a consultative rating, and a disagreement with the physician may require different procedures.

Identify the rating and read its notice before calculating time

Save the complete rating, envelope or electronic-delivery record, medical report, request for rating, and every attachment. Confirm that the document is a DEU summary rating and not a formal rating issued for a workers’ compensation judge or a consultative calculation. The official notice should identify how and where to seek reconsideration and should be read before relying on a general online description.

DWC materials describe a 30-day period from receipt for the unrepresented summary-rating reconsideration procedure. Record the actual receipt date and the method of delivery. Do not substitute the medical-examination date, report date, or date printed on a different notice. If the final day is uncertain, act promptly and obtain case-specific advice rather than assuming extra time.

Match the objection to a recognized ground

DWC identifies limited grounds such as an evaluator’s failure to address all issues, failure to follow required evaluation procedures, an incorrect application of the rating schedule, or an incorrect calculation. Build a table showing the challenged component, the report page, the rating entry, the asserted ground, and the supporting document. A bare statement that the percentage is too low does not explain a rating error.

Separate medical disputes from rating disputes. If the physician omitted a body part, work restriction, apportionment explanation, or another presented issue, the underlying report may need clarification through an allowed process. If the medical facts were rated incorrectly, identify the specific schedule or arithmetic step. Do not ask the DEU to decide compensability or replace a physician’s judgment.

Assemble DWC-AD 103 and a reviewable record

Use the current DWC-AD 103 form and its instructions. Identify the employee, employer, claim number, evaluator, report date, rating date, and each ground accurately. Attach the rating and the materials necessary to understand the asserted error, but avoid an unindexed dump. A short chronology and exhibit list help show what the evaluator and DEU had when each decision was made.

Preserve the completed submission, exhibits, proof of service, and delivery confirmation. Serve the parties identified by the current form and case posture. If a missing document or incorrect fact originated earlier, state that history candidly; do not imply that the DEU received material that was never submitted.

Keep the larger claim on a separate calendar

A rating challenge does not automatically postpone a conference, trial, benefit notice, utilization-review issue, or another objection period. Track the reconsideration request beside the entire claim calendar. If representation begins or a WCAB case is filed, confirm whether the administrative procedure remains appropriate.

The DEU permanent-disability overview explains rating inputs, while the claim guide covers the broader sequence. The firm’s California workers’ compensation practice page and workers’ compensation FAQ provide additional context.

What this means: practical action checklist

• Confirm the document is a summary rating and record the actual receipt date.
• Compare the medical report and rating line by line and name a permitted ground.
• Use the current DWC-AD 103, attach an indexed record, and preserve service and delivery proof.
• Track hearings and all other claim deadlines independently.
• Ask for case-specific help if representation status, litigation, or the correct procedure is unclear.