diff --git a/healthcareio/x12/__init__.py b/healthcareio/x12/__init__.py
index 9ae14a6..b3022d0 100644
--- a/healthcareio/x12/__init__.py
+++ b/healthcareio/x12/__init__.py
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ class Parser (Process):
         claims  = []
         try:
             file = open(filename.strip(),errors='ignore')
-            INITIAL_ROWS = list(islice(file,100)) #.readlines(4)
+            INITIAL_ROWS = list(islice(file,100)) # Read the first 100 lines (no particular reason)
             _code = "unknown"
             # if len(INITIAL_ROWS) == 1 :
             #     file = INITIAL_ROWS[0].split('~')
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ class Parser (Process):
                     
                     # claim = merger.merge(claim,self.apply(_toprows,_code))
                     # claims.append(dict(DEFAULT_VALUE,**claim))
-                    claims.append(merger.merge(DEFAULT_VALUE,claim))
+                    claims.append(merger.merge(DEFAULT_VALUE.copy(),claim))
             if type(file) != list :
                 file.close()