{"id":"alj-H201741-2025-05-20","awcc_number":"H201741","decision_date":"2025-05-20","opinion_type":"alj","claimant_name":"Melissa Mills","employer_name":"Mhm Support Services","title":"MILLS VS. MHM SUPPORT SERVICES AWCC# H201741 May 20, 2025","outcome":"dismissed","outcome_keywords":["dismissed:7","granted:2","denied:1"],"injury_keywords":[],"pdf_url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/MILLS_MELISSA_H201741_20250520.pdf","source_index_url":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/administrative-law-judge-opinions/","filename":"MILLS_MELISSA_H201741_20250520.pdf","text_length":2721,"full_text":"-1- \n \n BEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION \n \n WCC NO. H201741 \n \nMELISSA MILLS, Employee      CLAIMANT \n \nMHM SUPPORT SERVICES, Employer     RESPONDENT \n \nMERCY HEALTH, Carrier/TPA       RESPONDENT \n \n \n OPINION FILED MAY 20, 2025  \n \n \nHearing  before  ADMINISTRATIVE  LAW  JUDGE  ERIC  PAUL  WELLS  in Fort  Smith, \nSebastian County, Arkansas. \n       \nClaimant not represented by counsel and not appearing at hearing. \n \nRespondent represented by RANDY P. MURPHY, Attorney at Law, Little Rock, Arkansas. \n \n STATEMENT OF THE CASE \n \n This case comes on for review following a hearing on respondents’ Motion to Dismiss. \nOn December 21, 2023, the claimant’s attorney, Michael Ellig, filed an AR-C requesting \nvarious compensation benefits in which she alleged she contracted COVID with resulting PTSD \non or about February 5, 2022. The claim was denied in its entirety.  \nOn September 27, 2024, the respondents filed a Motion to Dismiss requesting this claim \nbe dismissed for lack of prosecution. The claimant objected and on November 5, 2024, Mr. Ellig \nrequested a hearing.  \nOn January 23, 2025, Mr. Ellig withdrew the claimant’s request for a hearing and filed a \nMotion to Withdraw as Counsel, which this administrative law judge granted on March 6, 2025. \nNo further action was taken regarding this claim. \n\nMills – H201741 \n \n-2- \n On March 7, 2025, a letter was sent to the claimant regarding the Motion to Dismiss filed \nby the respondent on September 27, 2024, to which the claimant did not respond. A hearing was \nscheduled  for May  8,  2025.  Notice  of  that  hearing  was  sent  to  the  claimant  by  certified  mail, \nreturn  receipt  requested  on April  1,  2025.  That  certified  mail  notice  was  returned  to  the \nCommission by the Post Office with a notation “Return to Sender. Not Deliverable as Addressed. \nUnable to Forward.” \n After my review of the respondents’ Motion to Dismiss, the claimant’s lack of response \nthereto, and all other matters properly before the Commission, I find that respondents’ Motion to \nDismiss  this  claim  should  be  and  hereby  is  granted  pursuant  to  Commission  Rule  099.13.  This \ndismissal is without prejudice.  \nORDER \n Pursuant  to  the  above  statement  of  the  case  and  Commission  Rule  099.13,  I  have  no \nalternative but to dismiss this claim in its entirety, without prejudice, for failure to prosecute. \n If  respondents  have  not  already  done  so,  they  are  directed  to  pay  the  court  reporter, \nVeronica Lane, her fees and expenses within thirty (30) days of receipt of her invoice. \n IT IS SO ORDERED. \n      ___________________________________ \n       ERIC PAUL WELLS \n      ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE","preview":"-1- BEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION WCC NO. H201741 MELISSA MILLS, Employee CLAIMANT MHM SUPPORT SERVICES, Employer RESPONDENT MERCY HEALTH, Carrier/TPA RESPONDENT OPINION FILED MAY 20, 2025 Hearing before ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE ERIC PAUL WELLS in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. Claimant ...","fetched_at":"2026-05-19T22:41:07.155Z","links":{"html":"/opinions/alj-H201741-2025-05-20","pdf":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/MILLS_MELISSA_H201741_20250520.pdf","source_publisher":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/administrative-law-judge-opinions/"}}