Gamble v. Twin Cities Concrete Products

OPINION

DIETZEN, Justice.

The question before us is whether we should extend our decision in Brooks v. A.M.F., Inc., 278 N.W.2d 310 (Minn.1979), and require automatic payment of a medical provider’s treatment expenses when an employer fails to give the medical provider notice of its right to intervene in a workers’ compensation proceeding to determine responsibility for those expenses.

The employee, Lon Gamble, was injured in a work-related accident at Twin Cities Concrete Products (Twin Cities). His doctor recommended surgery, but Twin Cities objected to the surgery on the ground that it was…