California Code of Regulations, Title 8, 10396, gives the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board discretion to consolidate two or more related cases. This authority commonly is used when a worker claims more than one injury as a result of his or her employment. Consolidation in such cases often is uncontested because it's more efficient for all parties for all of the cases to be heard and decided in a single proceeding.
Consolidation, however, is not limited to cases involving a single employee. CCR 10396 also allows the WCAB to consolidate cases involving multiple injured workers after considering relevant factors, including, but not limited to: