Hooker v. Labor Commission

Summary

The court held that dismissal is not an available sanction when an employee obstructs an independent medical examination in a workers’ compensation proceeding because the governing statute specifically prescribes suspension during the period of refusal or obstruction. It reversed the dismissal of Hooker’s claim but declined to decide whether she actually obstructed the examinations because that issue was unnecessary to the disposition. The court also held that Hooker lacked standing to challenge monetary sanctions imposed on her attorneys because she was not obligated to pay them.