Jerry Hayes v. Christian Retirement Homes, Inc., d/b/a Ridgecrest Senior Living Center and West Bend Mutual…

Summary

The court held that Hayes preserved his argument that the employer was bound by its selected treating physician's causation opinion because the agency necessarily rejected that argument when it relied on a contrary medical opinion to deny permanent-disability benefits. On the merits, the court held that an employer in a contested workers' compensation proceeding is not bound by its treating physician's opinion when a contrary medical opinion is supported by the record. The court further held that substantial evidence supported the commissioner's decision and affirmed the district court's judgment, while vacating the court of appeals' decision in part.