Mikhail Bogomolny has interpreted at a great many workers' compensation proceedings: hearings at the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB), depositions of injured workers, QME and AME medical-legal exams, treatment appointments and settlement conferences. He is a California-certified court interpreter, which is the qualification California law requires for interpreters in workers' compensation.
Why does certification matter in workers' compensation?
California Labor Code section 5811 requires a qualified interpreter, one who is certified or deemed certified, at depositions, appeals board hearings and medical-legal exams, and it provides that reasonable interpreter fees are paid by the employer under the fee schedule. Mikhail is a certified court interpreter, so he meets that requirement. Whether a particular appointment is covered is a question for your attorney or the claims administrator.
Where does he interpret?
- WCAB hearings: mandatory settlement conferences, status conferences and trials before a workers' compensation judge
- Depositions: the injured worker's deposition and depositions of witnesses
- Medical-legal exams: QME and AME evaluations (more about medical exams)
- Treatment: appointments with treating physicians, therapists and specialists
- Settlement: sight translation of compromise and release and stipulation documents before they are signed, and mediations
Why it matters what the doctor hears
In a workers' compensation case, how the injury and symptoms are described affects the medical reports, and the reports shape the case. Mikhail conveys exactly what the worker says: where it hurts, since when and how it limits work, without adding, softening or summarizing.
How to book
Attorneys, claims administrators and medical offices can book directly by phone or email with the date, the place, the type of appointment and the case number if available.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the interpreter in a workers' comp case?
California Labor Code section 5811 provides that reasonable interpreter fees for depositions, hearings and medical-legal exams are paid by the employer under the fee schedule. Whether a specific appointment is covered is a question for your attorney or the claims administrator.
Does the interpreter have to be certified?
For depositions, appeals board hearings and medical-legal exams, the law calls for a qualified interpreter who is certified or deemed certified. Mikhail is a California-certified court interpreter.
Can a family member interpret at a QME or a deposition?
A family member is not a certified interpreter, and certification is what the law requires for these settings. More importantly, a relative is not neutral, which can call the record into question.