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Bill

SB 287

TO MODIFY CERTAIN ATTORNEY FEES FOR CONTROVERTED MEDICAL EXPENSES, APPEALS, AND CHANGES OF PHYSICIANS UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW THAT RESULTED FROM INITIATED MEASURE 1948, NO. 4.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by John Payton

Arkansas bill modifies attorney fee rules for workers' compensation disputes over medical expenses and appeals, adjusting compensation structure from voter-approved 2020 measure.

Sine Die adjournment
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Bill Summary · SB 287

Legislative bill overview

SB 287 modifies attorney fee provisions in Arkansas workers' compensation law that were established by Initiated Measure 1948. The bill addresses how attorneys are compensated when handling disputes over medical expenses, appeals, and changes of physicians in workers' compensation cases.

Why is this important

Attorney fees in workers' compensation cases directly affect injured workers' ability to afford legal representation and the incentive structure for attorneys to take on these cases. Changes to fee structures can significantly impact access to justice for workers disputing medical decisions or pursuing appeals, while also affecting insurers' and employers' litigation costs.

Potential points of contention

  • Fee structure specifics unclear: The bill description doesn't specify whether fees are being increased, decreased, or restructured, making it difficult to assess who benefits and who bears additional costs
  • Initiative measure override concerns: Modifying provisions from an initiated measure (voter-approved) may face criticism that the legislature is circumventing the democratic process
  • Access to representation trade-offs: Lower fees might reduce litigation costs but could discourage attorneys from taking complex cases, while higher fees could burden injured workers seeking representation

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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