Split Court Says Commission Can Rule on Appeal While Petition for Recon Is Pending

A divided Mississippi Court of Appeals ruled that an employer's appeal of an administrative judge's decision was not premature, even though the judge had not yet ruled on the employer's petition for reconsideration before the Workers' Compensation Commission addressed the appeal. Case: Hamilton v. Southwire Co., No. 2014-WC-01311-COA, 05/03/2016, published. Facts: Jeremy Hamilton suffered injuries to his foot and ankle in November 2005 while working for the Southwire Co. Southwire accepted these injuries as compensable. Hamilton later began complaining of back pain, and ...