Governor Beebe has appointed Watson Bell as the new chairman of the Arkansas Workers Compensation Commission.  Mr. Bell is 59 years old and has a general practice in Searcy where he was a former law partner of Governor Beebe.  He takes office in January.
New rates~
New maximum comp rates for 2009 are $550 and $413
“Contusions”
In another case, Ellis v. J.D. and Billy Hines, the court concluded that despite evidence that there were no objective findings, the word “contusion” written by a doctor as a diagnosis was enough.  Physicians use this word …

Elizabeth Shelton, the daughter of juvenile judge, Pat Shelton of Houston was convicted last year of intoxication manslaughter for the death of her boyfriend; Matthew McNeice when she rear-ended a box truck driven by Lance Bennett.  Shelton had a blood alcohol more than three times the legal limit and was sentenced to eight years probation.  She had to serve only four months in jail.
Shelton, her family, and the family of the boyfriend, are suing for $20,000 for the destruction of the Lexus SUV she was driving at the time of …

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle a complaint filed by actor Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly over a medication error that nearly killed the couple’s twins. While the hospital was not officially named in the couple’s lawsuit, it was named as a potential defendant. The couple has also filed a lawsuit against the maker of the blood thinning medication administered to the children, Baxter Healthcare Corp. Andrew Blankstein, LA Times

CPT codes, or Current Procedural Terminology codes were established for uniform billing procedures. However, these codes can provide useful information for a variety of other purposes.
A physician was claiming total disability to maintain his OB/GYN practice. A injury to his non-dominant hand was felt to render him totally disabled because he was unable to perform duties other than the computer. His dominant left hand had been burned in a childhood injury and he was unable to fully use it. The insurer concluded that the …