Randy W. Netherton, Michael L. Netherton and Sheryl N. Perry v. Sean M. Netherton Travis Perry

**Workers Have Right to Choose From Multiple Doctors for Work Injuries** This case involved James Hawes, an employee at McLane Co., Inc., who hurt his back at work and requested a panel of doctors to choose from for his treatment. The company had sent Hawes for testing that showed no acute injury, and based on those results, they referred him to only one doctor instead of giving him multiple options. The court ruled in favor of Hawes, ordering McLane Co. to provide him with a statutory panel of physicians as required by Tennessee law. The judge found that the company violated state workers' compensation rules by limiting Hawes to a single doctor, regardless of what their testing showed about his injury. This decision matters because it protects workers' rights to have choices in their medical care after workplace injuries. Under Tennessee law, injured employees are entitled to select from a panel of doctors rather than being forced to see only the doctor their employer picks. Even if initial tests don't show obvious injury, workers still maintain this right to medical choice. This ruling reinforces that employers cannot bypass these protections by relying solely on their own medical evaluations to limit treatment options.