Supreme Court Reinstates Denial of Worker's Request for Additional Treatment

The South Dakota Supreme Court reinstated a decision by an administrative law judge denying a worker’s claim for additional treatment. Case: Pham v. Smithfield Foods Sioux Falls, 2025 S.D. 41, 07/23/2025, published. Facts: Jody Pham worked for Smithfield Foods Sioux Falls, a self-insured employer. Pham reported neck and right shoulder issues to her manager in August 2015. Smithfield accepted liability for an injury and paid workers’ compensation benefits to Pham for over two years. During this time, Pham saw Dr. Bruce Elkins, who diagnosed her with sprained ligaments of her cer...