{"id":"alj-H401191-2025-05-01","awcc_number":"H401191","decision_date":"2025-05-01","opinion_type":"alj","claimant_name":"Lauren Beam","employer_name":"Little Rock School District","title":"LAUREN A. BEAM VS. LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT AWCC# H401191 May 01, 2025","outcome":"dismissed","outcome_keywords":["dismissed:1","granted:1"],"injury_keywords":[],"pdf_url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/BEAM_LAUREN_H401191_20250501.pdf","source_index_url":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/administrative-law-judge-opinions/","filename":"BEAM_LAUREN_H401191_20250501.pdf","text_length":5602,"full_text":"1 \n \nBEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COMMISSION \nCLAIM NO. H401191 \n \nLAUREN A. BEAM, \nEMPLOYEE CLAIMANT \n \nLITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT, \nEMPLOYER RESPONDENT \n \nARKANSAS SCHOOL BDS. ASS’N \nWORKERS’ COMPENSATION TRUST/ \nARK. SCHOOL BDS. ASS’N \nCARRIER/TPA RESPONDENT \n \n \nOPINION FILED MAY 1, 2025, GRANTING RESPONDENTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS \nWITHOUT PREJUDICE \n \n \nHearing conducted on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, before the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation \nCommission (the Commission), Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Mike Pickens, in Little Rock, \nPulaski County, Arkansas. \n \nThe claimant, Ms. Lauren A. Beam, pro se, of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, did not \nappear at the hearing. \n \nThe respondents were represented by the Honorable Melissa Wood, Worley, Wood & Parrish, \nLittle Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. \n \n \nSTATEMENT OF THE CASE \n \n A hearing was conducted on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, to determine whether this claim \nshould be dismissed without prejudice pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 11-9-702(a)(4) (2025 Lexis \nReplacement) and Commission Rule 099.13 (2025 Lexis Replacement). \n The claimant never retained an attorney to represent her in this claim, but she had requested, \nand the Commission granted, her one (1)-time-only change of physician (COP) request by order \nfiled February 26, 2024. Thereafter, when the claimant had taken no further action to pursue her \n\nLauren A. Beam, AWCC No. H401191 \n2 \n \nclaim, on March 3, 2025, the respondents filed with the Commission a motion to dismiss for lack \nof prosecution (MTD). (Respondents’ Exhibit 1 at 10-11). \n Pursuant to the applicable law the Commission provided the claimant due and legal notice of \nboth the respondents’ MTD as well as notice of the subject hearing. (Commission Exhibit 1). The \nclaimant wrote the ALJ a letter dated March 19, 2025, which the Commission received and marked \nas filed on March 31, 2025. (Comms’n Ex. 2). In this letter the claimant wrote: “I do not anticipate \nany further issues or medical bills related to this claim. Additionally, I do not wish for this matter \nto proceed to a hearing, nor do I wish to be required to attend a hearing.” (Comms’n Ex. 2; RX1 \nat 13). \n The record herein consists of the hearing transcript and any and all exhibits contained therein \nand attached thereto. \nDISCUSSION \n Consistent with Ark. Code Ann.§ 11-9-702(a)(4) (2024 Lexis Replacement), as well as our \ncourt of appeals’ ruling in Dillard vs. Benton County Sheriff’s Office, 87 Ark. App. 379, 192 \nS.W.3d 287 (Ark. App. 2004), the Commission scheduled and conducted a hearing on the \nclaimant’s voluntary MTD. Rather than recite a detailed analysis of the record, suffice it to say the \npreponderance of the evidence introduced at the hearing and contained in the record conclusively \nreveals the claimant has specifically advised the Commission in writing there exist no issues in her \nclaim subject to litigation and/or determination; and that she does not want to proceed to a hearing \non any issues in her claim, nor does she want to be required to attend a hearing. (Comms’n Ex. 2). \n Therefore, after a thorough consideration of the issues at bar, the applicable law as applied to \nthe facts of this claim, and other relevant matters of record including the representations of credible \ncounsel, I hereby make the following: \n\nLauren A. Beam, AWCC No. H401191 \n3 \n \n \nFINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW \n \n1. The Commission has jurisdiction of this claim. \n \n2. After having received due and legal notice of the respondents’ MTD filed with the \nCommission on March 3, 2025, as well as notice of the subject hearing date, time, and \nplace, the claimant advised the Commission by letter dated March 19, 2025, which was \nreceived and filed with the Commission on March 31, 2025, that no issues remained in her \nclaim; and that she did “not wish for this matter to proceed to a hearing, nor do I wish to \nbe required to attend a hearing.” (Comms’n Ex. 2). \n \n3. Therefore, the unrebutted preponderance of the evidence compels the decision the \nrespondents’ MTD filed March 3, 2025, should be and hereby is GRANTED; and this \nclaim hereby is dismissed without prejudice to its refiling pursuant to the deadlines \nprescribed by Ark. Code Ann. Section 11-9-702(a) and (b), and Commission Rule 099.13. \n \n If they have not already done so, the respondents hereby are ordered to pay the court \nreporter’s invoice within twenty (20) days of their receipt thereof. \n IT IS SO ORDERED. \n \n____________________________ \n Mike Pickens \n Administrative Law Judge \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nMP/mp \n \n \n \n\nLauren A. Beam, AWCC No. H401191 \n4","preview":"1 BEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COMMISSION CLAIM NO. H401191 LAUREN A. BEAM, EMPLOYEE CLAIMANT LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT, EMPLOYER RESPONDENT ARKANSAS SCHOOL BDS. ASS’N WORKERS’ COMPENSATION TRUST/ ARK. SCHOOL BDS. ASS’N CARRIER/TPA RESPONDENT OPINION FILED MAY 1, 2025, GRANTING RESPONDENTS’ MOTION TO DIS...","fetched_at":"2026-05-19T22:40:14.862Z","links":{"html":"/opinions/alj-H401191-2025-05-01","pdf":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/BEAM_LAUREN_H401191_20250501.pdf","source_publisher":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/administrative-law-judge-opinions/"}}