WPC ;Fˁ7՚Q3{Ԛ۰I]h!9btXW:U3ڊ#g@#b/DZJV|-@  *5׈Ӭ;GO)\]tkH42`#w4s޻!$C(Uʔ 0B/3qoycSÒ![ȵb"%71IBLdNwDgj+P3Ssc.4>{hAծQ՝K"Մ= YQ“Eѯܾ=^m?(j\1mڱ̲<옉8i񍸒, b#\ %% ^ + 07 UN w 4 z%  q  m UN   s9 0DNCfEEEb 0 B 0 D3w D- 0K AS"u 0; 0D A#\\IB01S08\KNOXCLERK4,,,,0t}1 (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman RegularփF1:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0   MobbsGarrettConatserThomason Bilt  - -(|G2$ !.8 dd8         0  XM9X d(|3c$ !.8 dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3c$ !.8 dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8 dd8     _ 8M9XXdd8OY@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @$ATKNOXVILLE  @September21,2004Session $ XM9X  # XXM9#  JERRYBALESv.DIALYSISCLINIC,INC.XM9X   " @   DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforHamiltonCounty  " @ No.00C2117Hon.SamuelH.Payne,CircuitJudge   @*AV) ` dE<` A߈   @U U No.E200303059_COA_ԄR3CVFILEDNOVEMBER29,_2004_Ԁ }  AV) ` dE<T` A U   Actionallegedretaliatorydischargeforfilingworkerscompensationclaim.Employerdefended P  terminationongroundsemployeewasunabletoperformhisjobduetodisability.TheTrialCourt < granteddefendantsummaryjudgment.Weaffirm. (x # XXM91#XM9X  Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtAffirmed.  < HerschelPickensFranks,_P.J._,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichCharlesD.Susano,  Jr.,J.,andD.Michael_Swiney_,J.,joined.  # XXM9#XM9X DennyE.Mobbs,Cleveland,Tennessee,forAppellant. ` TimK.Garrett,Nashville,Tennessee,forAppellee. 8 @66' OPINION # XXM9#XM9X Ԉ "8"  X!XXXM9   ` Inthisactionforretaliatorydischargeforfilingaworkerscompensationclaim,the % % TrialCourtgranteddefendantemployersummaryjudgment.Plaintiffhasappealed. &!&    ` IntheComplaint,Plaintiffaverredthathewasterminatedfromhisemploymentin p(#( retaliationforhavingfiledaworkerscompensationclaim.Heallegedheinjuredhisshoulderon \)$) May22,1999,whileliftingapatientatwork,andunderwentmedicaltreatmentandsurgeriesforthe H*%* injury.HestatedhewasunabletoworksinceAugust1999,wasstillbeingtreatedbythedoctor,had 4+&+ restrictionsontheuseofhisarm,andwasyettoreceiveapermanentdisabilityrating.Hestatedhe  ,p', wascontinuingtoreceivetemporarytotaldisabilitybenefitsfromtheinsurancecarrier.  -\(- OY    _   ` PlaintifffurtherallegedthathewasputonmedicalleaveonAugust6,1999,and  exhaustedthetwelveweekstheemployerallowed,buthewasthengivenadditionalthirtydaysof  personalleavebytheemployer,whichexpiredonDecember3,1999.Atthatpoint,hispositionwas t terminated. `    ` Defendantinitsanswer,essentiallyadmittedmostofthefactualallegationsinthe 8  Complaint,butstatedthatplaintiffwasdischargedbecausetherewasnolightdutyworkavailable. $ t    ` DefendantthenfiledaMotionforSummaryJudgment,andtheCourt,initsOrder  L  grantingsummaryjudgment,statedthatplaintiffdidnotfileforworkerscompensationbenefits,but  8  thecarrierfiledtheclaim,andwhenplaintiffwasreleasedtoreturntoworkonAugust16,1999, $  withrestrictionsofnoliftingwithhisleftarmandnouseofhisleftarmforhalftheday,the   defendantterminatedplaintiffbecausehewasnotabletoperformhisjob.TheCourtconcludedby   findingthattheplaintiffcouldnotestablishacausallinkasheclaimed,becausetheevidencewas   undisputedthatplaintiffcouldnotperformtheessentialfunctionsofhisjob,andwasterminated   pursuanttodefendantslegitimatepolicy. p    ` Theissueonappealiswhetherapresumptionofretaliationshouldarisewhenan H employerdischargesanemployeepriortotheemployeereachingmaximummedicalimprovement 4 afteraworkerscompensationinjury.  p    ` Toestablisharetaliatorydischargeforfilingaworkerscompensationclaim,the H plaintiffmustshow: 4 8      0  0` (#(#(1)Theplaintiffwasanemployeeofthedefendantatthetimeoftheinjury;(2)the   plaintiffmadeaclaimagainstthedefendantforworkers'compensationbenefits;(3)  thedefendantterminatedtheplaintiff'semployment;and(4)theclaimforworkers'  compensationbenefitswasasubstantialfactorintheemployer'smotivationto  terminatetheemployee'semployment.l` (#` (# 0  0` (#(#Theburdenofproofrests,ofcourse,upontheplaintifftoprovetheelementsofthe D! causeofaction,includingacausalrelationshipbetweentheclaimforworkers' 0"  compensationbenefitsandtheterminationofemployment.Proofofdischarge #l! withoutevidenceofacausalrelationshipbetweentheclaimforbenefitsandthe $X" dischargedoesnotpresentanissueforthejury.$D #` (#` (# Andersonv.StandardRegisterCo.,857S.W.2d555,558559(Tenn.1993). &"%    ` Plaintiffconcedeshehasnorealevidenceofacausalrelationshipbetweenthe (#' workerscompensationclaimandhistermination,butaskedtheCourttoadoptaruleoflawthat )$( terminationofaninjuredworkerpriortohismedicaltreatmentbeingcompletedandmaximum |*%) medicalimprovementbeingreachediscompellingcircumstantialevidenceofacausallinkbetween h+&* theexerciseofworkerscompensationrightsandtermination,thussatisfyingthe substantialfactor  requirement. Toadoptthisrule,however,wouldrequirethisCourttooverruleprecedentofthis  CourtandoffersomecompellingandoverridingreasonwhyweshouldnotfollowSupremeCourt  precedent. x      ` Itiswellsettledthatterminationwithoutanyevidenceofacausallinktotheworkers P  compensationclaimisinsufficienttoproveretaliatorydischarge.SeeAnderson.InAnderson,the <  proofwasthattheplaintiffcouldnotreturntoworkduetomedicalrestrictionswhichrenderedher ( x unabletoperformherjob.Plaintiffstestimonywasthatheremploymentwasterminatedbecause  d "I'dbeenoutsolong...theydidn'thavethetimetowait."Id.at559.TheAndersonCourtfoundthat  P  sincetherewasnoevidenceofacausalrelationshipbetweentheworkerscompclaimandthe  <  plaintiffstermination,summaryjudgmentwasproperlygrantedtotheemployer.Id.,seealso (  Conatserv.ClarksvilleCoca-ColaBottlingCo.,920S.W.2d646(Tenn.1995)(terminationallowed   ifemployeeisnotphysicallyabletodotheworkrequiredbythejob).Accord:Reedv.Alamo   Rent-A-Car,Inc.,4S.W.3d677,685(Tenn.Ct.App.1999);seealsoThomasonv.Better-Bilt   AluminumProducts,Inc.,831S.W.2d291(Tenn.Ct.App.1992);Leatherwoodv.UnitedParcel   Service,708S.W.2d396(Tenn.Ct.App.1985). t    ` Basedontheaboveprecedent,itiscleartheTrialCourtproperlygrantedsummary L judgment. 8    ` TheJudgmentoftheTrialCourtisaffirmedandthecostoftheappealisassessedto ` JerryBales. L #XM9XX X!# X!XXXM9# d X X!# X!X  d  #XM9XX X!### XXM96$#XM9X    `     h     ______________________________ p    `     h     HerschelPickensFranks,P.J. \