Many claim professionals are unaware that our California workers’ compensation system allows the public free limited access to records of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board through the EAMS computer database. EAMS is an acronym for “Electronic Adjudication Management System” which has been used by the WCAB since November 17, 2008. It replaced the Electronic Data Exchange System (EDEX) that had been in operation from 1994 to 2008.
Today’s blog describes a situation that occurs when anyone accesses the EAMS database at: https://eams.dwc.ca.gov/WebEnhancement/ to research past and ongoing claims. All a person has to do to sign in is fill in their first and last name, their email address, and the reason for the search. However, this is where a problem exists as the computer will accept almost every sign-in name and email address imaginable. For example: the following sign-in is acceptable by the EAMS computer:
- First Name: Santa
- Last Name: Claus
- Email Address: [email protected]
- Reason for Search: Case information
If you prefer, you can sign-in as the Easter Bunny as EAMS will accept that name too. We are not kidding. If you don’t believe us, try it yourself. Even gibberish is acceptable, such as: First Name: eodoijddd, Last Name: dkwowo
Due to the nature of EAMS, nobody will ever discover that a job applicant’s claims history was ever researched, by whom, when, or for what purpose.
We wonder if anyone at the DWC is aware of this computer glitch as the situation has existed for over a dozen years. It also appears that nobody is monitoring who logs in or why. Therefore, we can’t help but ask, “What is the purpose of requiring someone to log into EAMS when the computer grants unmonitored access to everyone?”
In October 2024, the DWC completed an upgrade of the EAMS computer servers to more securely transmit files from trading partners, including the reset of passwords. Unfortunately, these upgrades did not include the general public’s access to EAMS. In fact, after the upgrades were completed, an employer tested the system to determine if the glitch had been corrected. The employer was able to successfully log into EAMS as “Boo-Boo Bear.” We at Friedman + Bartoumian will continue to monitor any developments to EAMS and will report updates as they occur.
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