SEZETTE DUBAY, as conservator for CARI PILLO on behalf of JOHN PILLO (deceased) vs. CONTRA COSTA ELECTRIC, INC., insured by AMERICAN CASUALTY COMPANY OF REDDING, PENNSYLVANIA, Adjusted by SEDGWICK CMS, et al.

This case concerns whether a deceased employee's death benefit claim falls under an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) carve-out agreement. The defendant argued that arbitration agreements bind non-signatories and should apply to death benefits, likening them to derivative wrongful death claims. However, the Appeals Board affirmed the WCJ's decision, finding Labor Code section 3201.5 clearly limits ADR to disputes "between employees and employers." The Board reasoned that a dependent's claim for death benefits is an independent statutory right, not a dispute between an employee and employer, thus outside the scope of the ADR carve-out.