{"id":"alj-H405703-2025-08-13","awcc_number":"H405703","decision_date":"2025-08-13","opinion_type":"alj","claimant_name":"Brenda Adams","employer_name":"Pulaski Special School District","title":"ADAMS VS. PULASKI SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AWCC# H405703 August 13, 2025","outcome":"dismissed","outcome_keywords":["dismissed:6","denied:4"],"injury_keywords":["knee"],"pdf_url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ADAMS_BRENDA_H405703_20250813.pdf","source_index_url":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/administrative-law-judge-opinions/","filename":"ADAMS_BRENDA_H405703_20250813.pdf","text_length":3385,"full_text":"BEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COMMISSION \n \nAWCC FILE No H405703 \n \nBRENDA ADAMS, EMPLOYEE          CLAIMANT \n \nPULASKI SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, EMPLOYER                   RESPONDENT \n \nARKANSAS SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION WCT/ \nARKANSAS SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, CARRIER/TPA       RESPONDENT \n  \n \n \nOPINION FILED 13 AUGUST 2025 \n \n \nHeard before Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission (“the Commission”) \nAdministrative Law Judge JayO. Howe on 6 August 2025 in Little Rock, Arkansas. \n \nThe claimant appeared pro se. \n \nWorley, Wood & Parrish, P.A., Ms. Melissa Wood, appeared for the respondents. \n \nSTATEMENT OF THE CASE \n \n This case relates to an alleged workplace injury occurring on 26 August 2024. A \nhearing on the respondents’ Motion to Dismiss was held on this matter in Little Rock, \nArkansas, on 6 August 2025. The record from the hearing consists of the hearing transcript; \nRespondents’ Exhibit No 1, which consists of two index pages and an additional forty-one \npages of forms, filings, and correspondence; and Commission’s Exhibit No 1, a file-marked \nletter from the claimant dated 23 December 2024. \nThe respondents first requested a dismissal of this claim under Commission Rule \n099.13 (now codified at 11 C.A.R. § 25-110(d)) via a letter dated 7 May 2025. That motion \nwas denied without prejudice by way of an Order dated 21 May 2025. After some time \npassed without the claimant making any filings with the Commission, the respondents \nsought again, on 14 July 2025, for the claim to be dismissed for lack of prosecution. A \nhearing was then set and notices sent accordingly. \n\nB. ADAMS- H405703 \n2 \n \n \nFINDINDGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW \n After reviewing the record as a whole, I hereby make the following findings of fact \nand conclusions of law in accordance with Ark. Code Ann. § 11-9-704 (Repl. 2012): \n 1. The Commission has jurisdiction over this matter. \n2. The parties were provided with reasonable notice of the Motion to Dismiss \nand the hearing on that motion. \n \n3. The evidence preponderates that the claimant has not failed to prosecute her \nclaim under 11 CAR § 25-110(d). \n \n4. The Motion to Dismiss is hereby denied without prejudice. \n \nDISCUSSION \nThe parties appeared on 6 August 2025. Before going on the record, the parties \ndiscussed the claimant’s wish that this claim be heard alongside her other claims relating \nto alleged knee injuries occurring during her employment with the respondent. The \nclaimant testified that she has discussed the same with the Commission’s Legal Advisors. \nShe requested that this claim, Claim No H408315, and Claim No G401193 all be considered \ntogether. She further testified that she has been in contact with an attorney whom she \nintends to assist her in prosecuting her claims. She is to request that her attorney \ncommunicate with respondents’ counsel on these matters as soon as possible, should she \nsecure representation. \nThe claimant has shown that she has made efforts towards prosecuting her claim \nand that she intends to continue doing so. The respondents’ motion to dismiss is denied \nwithout prejudice, accordingly. \n \n[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.] \n \n\nB. ADAMS- H405703 \n3 \n \n \nORDER \n The Motion to Dismiss is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.  \nSO ORDERED. \n________________________________ \n       JAYO. HOWE \n       ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE","preview":"BEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COMMISSION AWCC FILE No H405703 BRENDA ADAMS, EMPLOYEE CLAIMANT PULASKI SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, EMPLOYER RESPONDENT ARKANSAS SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION WCT/ ARKANSAS SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, CARRIER/TPA RESPONDENT OPINION FILED 13 AUGUST 2025 Heard before Arkansas Workers’ Co...","fetched_at":"2026-05-19T22:37:22.774Z","links":{"html":"/opinions/alj-H405703-2025-08-13","pdf":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ADAMS_BRENDA_H405703_20250813.pdf","source_publisher":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/administrative-law-judge-opinions/"}}