Arkansas Methodist Hospital v. Adams

John E. Jennings, Chief Judge.

The claimant in this workers’ compensation case, Martha Adams, sustained an admittedly compensable injury September 25,1989, while working for Arkansas Methodist Hospital. She was diagnosed as having chronic lumbosacral strain with associated degenerative lumbar disc disease. In 1970, Ms. Adams had herniated a lumbar disc while employed with Emerson Electric. As a result of that injury, a laminectomy was performed.

Dr. Ray Tyrer, a neurosurgeon, eventually gave Ms. Adams an anatomical rating of 7 % to the body as a whole resulting from the September 1989 injury.…