{"id":"full_commission-G906350-2023-07-27","awcc_number":"G906350","decision_date":"2023-07-27","opinion_type":"full_commission","claimant_name":"Laura Easley","employer_name":"College Hill Middle School","title":"EASLEY VS. COLLEGE HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL AWCC# G906350 JULY 27, 2023","outcome":"granted","outcome_keywords":["affirmed:2","granted:6"],"injury_keywords":["back","lumbar","ankle","thoracic","strain","neck","cervical"],"pdf_url":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Easley_Laura_G906350_20230727.pdf","source_index_url":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/full-commission-opinions/","filename":"Easley_Laura_G906350_20230727.pdf","text_length":4399,"full_text":"NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION \n \nBEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION \n \nCLAIM NO.  G906350\n \n \nLAURA D. EASLEY, EMPLOYEE  CLAIMANT \n \nCOLLEGE HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL, EMPLOYER RESPONDENT \n \nARKANSAS SCHOOL BOARDS ASSN.,  RESPONDENT \nWORKERS’ COMPENSATION TRUST,  \nINSURANCE CARRIER/TPA  \n \nOPINION FILED JULY 27, 2023 \n \nUpon review before the FULL COMMISSION in Little Rock, Pulaski County, \nArkansas. \n \nClaimant represented by the HONORABLE GREGORY R. GILES, Attorney \nat Law, Texarkana, Arkansas. \n \nRespondents represented by the HONORABLE MELISSA WOOD, Attorney \nat Law, Little Rock, Arkansas. \n \nDecision of Administrative Law Judge:  Affirmed and Adopted. \n \nOPINION AND ORDER \n Claimant appeals an opinion and order of the Administrative Law \nJudge filed March 2, 2023.  In said order, the Administrative Law Judge \nmade the following findings of fact and conclusions of law: \n1.  The Commission has jurisdiction over this claim.  \n \n2.  The   stipulations   contained   in   the   Prehearing   Order   Filed \nSeptember 23, 2022, which the parties modified and affirmed on \nthe record at the hearing, hereby are accepted as facts.  \n \n \n\n \nEASLEY - G906350  2\n  \n \n \n3.  The   claimant   has   failed   to   meet   her   burden   of   proof   in \ndemonstrating she sustained a lower back/lumbar spine injury as \na result of either of the August 13, 2019, or the August 22, 2020, \nfalls. Therefore, the respondents are not responsible for payment \nof any medical or indemnity benefits associated with the claimant’s \nlong-standing,  well-documented,  symptomatic  lower  back/lumbar \nspine  degenerative  disc  disease/condition.    See  Vaughn  and \nMoody, supra. \n \n4.  The  claimant  has  met  her  burden  of  proof  in  demonstrating  the \nright ankle fusion surgery Dr. Ardoin has recommended is related \nto and reasonably necessary in light of her compensable injury. \n \n5.  The   claimant   has   failed   to   meet   her   burden   of   proof   in \ndemonstrating she is entitled to additional medical treatment at the \nrespondents’ expense for her thoracic spine strain after May 15, \n2021, the date Dr. Bruffett opined she reached MMI, except for the \nJune 16, 2021, MRI Dr. Bruffett ordered and required in order to \nclarify his opinion. \n \n6.  The claimant has met her burden of proof in demonstrating the \npain management treatment she has undergone for her right \nankle and neck/cervical spine injuries is related to and reasonably \nnecessary for treatment of her admittedly compensable injuries of \nAugust 13, 2019, and August 22, 2020.  \n \n7.  The claimant has met her burden of proof in demonstrating she is \nentitled to additional TTD benefits from August 22, 2020, through \nMarch 8, 2021; and from March 9, 2021, through June 14, 2022, \nthe date Dr. Martin opined she had reached MMI.  Of course, the \nrespondents are entitled to take a credit toward this award of \nadditional TTD benefits based on any and all indemnity benefits \nthey may have overpaid.  \n \n \n\n \nEASLEY - G906350  3\n  \n \n \n8. The claimant’s attorney is entitled to an attorney’s fee on all \ncontroverted indemnity payments. \n \n           We have carefully conducted a de novo review of the entire record \nherein and it is our opinion that the Administrative Law Judge's March 2, \n2023 decision is supported by a preponderance of the credible evidence, \ncorrectly applies the law, and should be affirmed.  Specifically, we find from \na preponderance of the evidence that the findings of fact made by the \nAdministrative Law Judge are correct and they are, therefore, adopted by \nthe Full Commission.  \n Therefore we affirm and adopt the decision of the Administrative Law \nJudge, including all findings and conclusions therein, as the decision of the \nFull Commission on appeal.  \n           The claimant’s attorney is entitled to fees for legal services in \naccordance with Ark. Code Ann.  § 11-9-715(a)(Repl. 2012).  For prevailing \nin part on appeal, the claimant’s attorney is entitled to an additional fee of \nfive hundred dollars ($500), pursuant to Ark. Code Ann.  § 11-9-715 \n(b)(Repl. 2012). \n \n \n \n\n \nEASLEY - G906350  4\n  \n \n \n IT IS SO ORDERED. \n    ___________________________________ \n    SCOTTY DALE DOUTHIT, Chairman \n \n    ___________________________________ \n    M. SCOTT WILLHITE, Commissioner \n \n    ___________________________________ \n    MICHAEL R. MAYTON, Commissioner","preview":"NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE THE ARKANSAS WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION CLAIM NO. G906350 LAURA D. EASLEY, EMPLOYEE CLAIMANT COLLEGE HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL, EMPLOYER RESPONDENT ARKANSAS SCHOOL BOARDS ASSN., RESPONDENT WORKERS’ COMPENSATION TRUST, INSURANCE CARRIER/TPA OPINION FILED JULY 27, 2023 Upon review bef...","fetched_at":"2026-05-19T22:29:46.252Z","links":{"html":"/opinions/full_commission-G906350-2023-07-27","pdf":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Easley_Laura_G906350_20230727.pdf","source_publisher":"https://labor.arkansas.gov/workers-comp/awcc-opinions/full-commission-opinions/"}}