Article ID: 40ae4e2a3648560cdd2b51b2e3dabe26e63f25d0734f7384f26d27756cab218d
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Employer not bound by treating doctor’s diagnosis: State high court - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Employer not bound by treating doctor’s diagnosis: State high court by Louise Esola Workers Comp , Workers Comp Coverage May 29, 2026 A retirement home worker who fell while taking out garbage is not entitled to permanent disability benefits after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that his employer is not necessarily bound by the causation opinion of a treating physician it selected. In Jerry Hayes v. Christian Retirement Homes Inc., d/b/a Ridgecrest Senior Living Center, and West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. , the state high court affirmed a district court ruling that upheld the Iowa workers compensation commissioner’s denial of benefits to Jerry Hayes, who worked as a dishwasher for Ridgecrest Senior Living Center in Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Hayes, who had a long history of back problems, fell in September 2021. Ridgecrest accepted that he suffered a temporary work injury but disputed whether the fall caused a permanent disability. A treating orthopedic surgeon selected by Ridgecrest recommended back surgery and later assigned Mr. Hayes a 23% whole-body impairment rating. However, another orthopedic surgeon, who performed an independent examination, concluded that Mr. Hayes’ fall temporarily aggravated preexisting back problems and caused no permanent impairment, according to the ruling. The workers compensation deputy commissioner credited the second opinion, finding the independent medical examiner had a fuller picture of Mr. Hayes’ medical history and had compared pre- and post-injury scans showing no structural change. The commissioner affirmed the denial of permanent disability benefits. Mr. Hayes argued Ridgecrest should be legally bound by the first causation opinion because the employer chose him as the treating physician. The Supreme Court rejected that argument, holding that in a contested case proceeding, an employer may rely on a contrary medical opinion supported by the record. In affirming, the Supreme Court said Mr. Hayes was not entitled to reimbursement for an independent medical examination because the claimed permanent injury was not compensable. 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