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Jason Rhodes, an employee of Amazon, sustained a foot injury and sought medical care and temporary partial disability benefits. The dispute arose when Mr. Rhodes declined to see an orthopedist referred by Amazon's authorized treating physician, Dr. Natasha Ballard, citing distance, and instead saw Dr. Jesse Doty. Mr. Rhodes argued that Amazon's practice of directing referrals to a single orthopedist effectively usurped his right to choose a physician under Tennessee law. The Court found Amazon's method of compelling referrals to a specific specialist by removing the treating physician's neutrality was contrary to the spirit of the direct-referral statute. Consequently, the Court ordered Amazon to provide a new panel of orthopedists and to pay Mr. Rhodes temporary partial disability benefits for the period he was out of work.
Rhodes, Jason v. Amazon.com, LLC is a workers' compensation case decided in Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims. This case addresses legal issues related to compensation claims, benefits, and court rulings.
It is commonly referenced in legal research involving workers' compensation laws in Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims.
Full Decision Text1 Pages
Jason Rhodes, an employee of Amazon, sustained a foot injury and sought medical care and temporary partial disability benefits. The dispute arose when Mr. Rhodes declined to see an orthopedist referred by Amazon's authorized treating physician, Dr. Natasha Ballard, citing distance, and instead saw Dr. Jesse Doty. Mr. Rhodes argued that Amazon's practice of directing referrals to a single orthopedist effectively usurped his right to choose a physician under Tennessee law. The Court found Amazon's method of compelling referrals to a specific specialist by removing the treating physician's neutrality was contrary to the spirit of the direct-referral statute. Consequently, the Court ordered Amazon to provide a new panel of orthopedists and to pay Mr. Rhodes temporary partial disability benefits for the period he was out of work.
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