It's with great sadness that PARMA learned yesterday of the recent passing of David DePaolo.  Provided below is the announcement released by the California Coalition on Workers' Compensation. 

With great sadness, the California Coalition on Workers' Compensation joins the rest of the workers' compensation community in expressing condolences over the death Sunday of David DePaolo, founder, president and chief executive officer of WorkCompCentral.

DePaolo, 56, died while riding his motorcycle in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu Hills. The cause of the accident and DePaolo's death was still under investigation as of Monday.

Just two days earlier, DePaolo participated in a presentation at CCWC's 14th Annual Conference in Anaheim as part of a panel of prominent workers' compensation industry bloggers. DePaolo was a regular attendee at the conference and was frequently a featured presenter at the annual event.

DePaolo practiced for many years as a workers' compensation defense attorney in Southern California before launching WorkCompCentral in 1999. He developed a widely-respected reputation as an outspoken-yet-compassionate champion for injured workers and came to be known as a leading voice in pursuit of equitable reform of the workers' compensation system.

He is survived by his wife Anne, daughter Nichole and son Anthony. CCWC extends its sympathy and best wishes to his family, friends and the many in the workers' compensation community on whom he had a lasting impact.

Read a news release regarding David DePaolo's death published by WorkCompCentral.

Read a remembrance of David DePaolo written by Robert Wilson of WorkersCompensation.com, who was another of the blogger panelists at last week's CCWC conference.