WPC* Ufndq1jt%>DK,U:bU:-!!g!U:$:$U:& AQ6''U:(((( B(( 0D) 0D) 0D/*/* D/s*s* B* D3*HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLl,  AZ"Arial RegularX(`zZ$TRY,3' Letter3'3' Letter3'T  DIEDDHUEH e6eӀBQ&3|x((2$ zZ!TRX3' Letter3'3'*Avery 5165 Full Sheet3'T   4XX   0    $  4 XX   1    "ForinjuriesarisingonorafterAugust1,1992,incaseswhereaninjuredemployeeis  eligibletoreceiveanypermanentpartialdisabilitybenefits,...andthepreinjuryemployerreturnstheemployeetoemploymentatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewagetheemployeewasreceivingatthetimeofinjury,themaximumpermanentpartialdisabilityawardthattheemployeemayreceiveistwoandonehalf(2)timesthemedicalimpairmentrating....Inmakingdeterminations,thecourtshallconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.,  AZ"Arial Regular(#$  0    $  4XX   2    "[T]hecourtsmayreconsideruponthefilingofanewcauseofactiontheissueofindustrial  disability.Suchreconsiderationshallexamineallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.Suchreconsiderationmay H @  bemadeinappropropriatecaseswheretheemployeeisnolongeremployedbythepreinjuryemployerandmakesapplicationtotheappropriatecourtwithinone(1)yearoftheemployeeslossofemployment.... 0 $  4XX   3    Awardslimitedbythe2.5multipliermayormaynotbeanaccuratereflectionofvocational  disability.Forinstance,aninjuredworkermayhavesustaineda20percentanatomicalimpairment.Iftheinjuredworkerisreturnedtoworkathispriorwage,theemployer'sliabilityislimitedat50percentevenifexperttestimonyindicatesthattheinjuredworker'svocationaldisabilityis90percent.  $  4XX   1    "ForinjuriesarisingonorafterAugust1,1992,incaseswhereaninjuredemployeeis  eligibletoreceiveanypermanentpartialdisabilitybenefits,...andthepreinjuryemployerreturnstheemployeetoemploymentatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewagetheemployeewasreceivingatthetimeofinjury,themaximumpermanentpartialdisabilityawardthattheemployeemayreceiveistwoandonehalf(2)timesthemedicalimpairmentrating....Inmakingdeterminations,thecourtshallconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.  $  4XX   2    "[T]hecourtsmayreconsideruponthefilingofanewcauseofactiontheissueofindustrial  disability.Suchreconsiderationshallexamineallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.Suchreconsiderationmay H @  bemadeinappropriatecaseswheretheemployeeisnolongeremployedbythepreinjuryemployerandmakesapplicationtotheappropriatecourtwithinone(1)yearoftheemployeeslossofemployment....,  AZ"Arial Regular  $  4XX   2    "[T]hecourtsmayreconsideruponthefilingofanewcauseofactiontheissueofindustrial  disability.Suchreconsiderationshallexamineallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.Suchreconsiderationmay H @  bemadeinappropropriatecaseswheretheemployeeisnolongeremployedbythepreinjuryemployerandmakesapplicationtotheappropriatecourtwithinone(1)yearoftheemployeeslossofemployment....,  AZ"Arial Regular  $  4XX   1    "ForinjuriesarisingonorafterAugust1,1992,incaseswhereaninjuredemployeeis  eligibletoreceiveanypermanentpartialdisabilitybenefits,...andthepreinjuryemployerreturnstheemployeetoemploymentatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewagetheemployeewasreceivingatthetimeofinjury,themaximumpermanentpartialdisabilityawardthattheemployeemayreceiveistwoandonehalf(2)timesthemedicalimpairmentrating....Inmakingdeterminations,thecourtshallconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.,  AZ"Arial Regular  $  4XX   2    "[T]hecourtsmayreconsideruponthefilingofanewcauseofactiontheissueofindustrial  disability.Suchreconsiderationshallexamineallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.Suchreconsiderationmay H @  bemadeinappropriatecaseswheretheemployeeisnolongeremployedbythepreinjuryemployerandmakesapplicationtotheappropriatecourtwithinone(1)yearoftheemployeeslossofemployment....,  AZ"Arial Regular 0 $  4XX   3    Awardslimitedbythe2.5multipliermayormaynotbeanaccuratereflectionofvocational  disability.Forinstance,aninjuredworkermayhavesustaineda20percentanatomicalimpairment.Iftheinjuredworkerisreturnedtoworkathispriorwage,theemployer'sliabilityislimitedat50percentevenifexperttestimonyindicatesthattheinjuredworker'svocationaldisabilityis90percent.,  AZ"Arial Regular!"#$&C<< C ""  XϿXXXXXϿ   Ad FILEDXϿX  April12,1999CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular dLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ((' dxdP Pd 'dxd zZ!TRX3' Letter3'3'*Avery 5165 Full Sheet3'T   4TR[A'Legal ManualX3' LetterA' Legal3'*Avery 5165 Full SheetT  7ϿXXdXXd7   r)<,(j 8` `@E ` 8ttxP,  rߛ@PPDINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @rr)DATNASHVILLE@%D(HEARDATKNOXVILLE)   <      D   FORPUBLICATION    <      D   Filed: 򀀀April12,1999T$T$MT$ ,$  NATHANBREWER,@##/D)  @##/D) PLAINTIFF/APPELLEE,@##/D)  WAYNECOUNTYCIRCUIT |t @##/D)v.@##/D)  Hon.JimT.Hamilton,Judge H@ @##/D)LINCOLNBRASSWORKS,INC.,@##/D)  No.01S019609CV00196   @##/D) DEFENDANT/APPELLANT.@##/D)  FORAPPELLANT: <      D   FORAPPELLEE: $! MARKC.TRAVIS <      D   JAYR.SLOBEY &# COOKEVILLE <      D   NASHVILLE ' $ @ss)D ?XXOPINION #XϿX?d #Ԉ .', TRIALCOURTAFFIRMEDINPART,REVERSEDINPARTSPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATION,;CASEPANELREVERSEDINPART;CASEDISMISSEDWITHOUTPREJUDICE 926  DISMISSEDWITHOUTPREJUDICE  CT$HOLDER,J.  r8j16  @,D OPINION    WegrantedthisappealtoaddresswhetherTenn.CodeAnn.506231precludesanenlargementofanawardunder506241(a)(2)whentheoriginalawardwaspaidinalumpsum.Uponreview,weholdthatalumpsumawardmaylaterbeenlargedifthecriteriain241(a)(2)aresatisfied.Wefurtherholdthat241(a)(2)isnotapplicablewhenthereiseitherasubsequentinjuryoranaggravationoftheoriginalinjurywhichincreasesaworker'sanatomicaldisability.    BACKGROUND  @8   Theplaintiff,NathanBrewer,beganworkingforthedefendant,LincolnBrassWorks,Inc.("Lincoln"),in1991.Mr.BrewersustainedaworkrelatedinjurytohisbackinDecemberof1992.Heunderwenttwolaminectomiesastheresultofthe1992injury.HereturnedtoworkforLincolninAugustof1993atawageequaltoorgreaterthanhispreinjurywage. Mr.Brewerwasassesseda15percentanatomicaldisabilityrating.Mr.Brewerreceivedworkers'compensationbenefitsbasedona37.5percentpermanentpartialimpairmenttothebodyasawhole,withLincoln'sliabilitycappedbythe2.5multiplierinTenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(1)   #  1      .Theaward +$( waspaidinlumpsum.  .',  Mr.BrewercontinuedworkingatLincolnforapproximatelytenmonths afterhisreturntoemploymentinAugustof1993.Heinitiallyreturnedtoalinejob,whichrequiredsittingandrepetitivestretching,bending,andtwisting.Hestatedthatthelinejobaggravatedhisbackandcausedhis"legtogonumb."Hethentransferredtoajanitorialposition,buthispainbecameincreasinglyunbearable.HislastdayatworkwasJune20,1994.Lincoln,however,stipulatedthathewasstillanemployeeofLincolnasofMarch20,1996. Mr.Brewerwasreferredtoanorthopedicsurgeon,Dr.Allen.Dr.AllendiagnosedMr.BrewerinSeptemberof1994ashavinga"verylargerecurringdiscruptureattheL45level."Dr.AllenopinedthatMr.Brewer'spriorsurgeriestotheL45regionrenderedthedisc"moresusceptibletorupture."Dr.Allen,however,furthertestifiedthat:8 Ithinkthenaturalprogression,degenerationtakes sometraumato   takeplace,whetherit'straumathatisincidentaltwisting,turning,standing,sitting,rollingoverinbed,sneezing,coughing,butpresumablysometrauma,evenifit'snotevenifit'snotsomethingyoucanputafingeronandsaythisistheepisode,butsometraumawouldbenecessarytobreakthispieceofdisclooseandallowittocomeoutthroughthehole.  ! ! Dr.AllenperformedalaminectomyonMr.BreweronJanuary9,1995,andasecondlaminectomyonJune2,1995.Dr.AllentestifiedthatboththeJanuaryandtheJunesurgeriesincreasedMr.Brewer'sanatomicalimpairment. Mr.Brewerfiledapetitionforincreasedworkers'compensationbenefitspursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(2).   #  2      ׀Thepetitionallegedhewasno P3H,0 longer"abletofunctioninhispreviousemployment"followingthe1994discruptureandrequestedanenlargementofthe1992award.ThetrialcourtawardedMr.Brewerincreasedbenefits.Theworkers'compensationpanelreversedthetrialcourt,finding:8 1.Tenn.CodeAnn.506231providesthatlumpsumpaymentsshallbefinalandprecludesincreasedbenefitsunder241(a)(2)iftheoriginalawardwaspaidinlumpsum;  ! ! 8 2.thepetitionforincreasedbenefitswastimebarredbecauseitwasnotfiledwithinoneyearofJune20,1994,thelastdayBrewerreportedtowork;and  ! ! 8 3.thetrialcourtfailedtorenderspecificfindingsoffactasrequiredby50-6-241(c).  ! ! Wegrantedreview.    ANALYSIS  8(0!$  Anemployer'sworkers'compensationliabilityiscappedat2.5timestheanatomicalimpairmentratingwhentheemployerreturnsaninjuredemployeeto workatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewageatthetimeoftheinjury.Tenn. /(, CodeAnn.506241(a)(1).  #  3      ׀If,however,theemployer'sattemptsto   accommodateaninjuredworkerbecomefutile,theworkermayfileforincreasedbenefitsunderTenn.CodeAnn.241(a)(2).Pursuantto241(a)(2),acourtmayenlargeaworkers'compensationawardthatwaspreviouslycappedbythe2.5multiplierin241(a)(1).Amongthefactorsforconsiderationforenlargementofanawardunder241(a)(2)arethe"employee'sage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableintheclaimant'sdisabledcondition."Increasedanatomicalimpairmentsandsubsequentinjuriesarenotfactorsforconsiderationunder241(a)(2).Thefocusispurelyontheissueofindustrialdisability. Apetitiontoenlargeapreviousawardunder506241(a)(2)isnottheappropriatevehicletousewhenaworkersustainsadditionalinjuriesoradditionalanatomicalimpairment.A241(a)(2)petitionisproperwhentheinjuredworkerattemptstoreturntoworkbuttheoriginalworkrelateddisabilitylaterrenderstheinjuredworkerunemployablewiththepreinjuryemployer.Section241(a)(2)thenallowstheinjuredworkertoreceiveanewindustrialdisabilityratingwhentheemployer'sattemptstoaccommodatetheworkerfail.Thenewdisabilityratingisnotlimitedbythe241(a)(1)capandisbasedontheworker'spreviousanatomicalimpairmentrating.Weholdthatiftheworker,however,sustainsadditionalimpairment,whethercausedbyasubsequentworkrelatedinjuryorworkrelatedaggravationinjuryoraggravationoftheoriginalinjury,theworkermustfileanewclaimforworkers'compensationratherthanattemptingtoenlargeapreviousawardunder241(a)(2). H3@,0  Mr.Brewerreceivedanawardof37.5percentattributabletohis1992workrelatedinjurytohislowerback.Hesubsequentlyaggravatedorreinjuredhislowerback.Experttestimonyestablishedthattheaggravationorreinjurycausedadditionalanatomicalimpairment.Accordingly,Mr.Brewer'sclaimshouldhavebeenfiledasanewandseparateactionforworkers'compensationbenefits.    LUMPSUMPROVISION    ' WegrantedthisappealtoaddresswhetherTenn.CodeAnn.506231prohibitspetitionstoenlargepreviousawardsunder241(a)(2).Pursuantto231,"[a]llamountspaidbytheemployerandreceivedbytheemployee...bylumpsumpayments,shallbefinal...."Section241(a)(2)permitsaninjuredworkerwhoseworkers'compensationbenefitswerecappedby241(a)(1)toseekanenlargementofthecappedaward"inappropriatecaseswheretheemployeeisnolongeremployedbythepreinjuryemployer...."OurholdingthatMr.Brewer'scauseofactioncannotbesustainedunder241(a)(2)hasrenderedthisissuemoot.We,however,willaddressthisimportantlegalissue. Initially,wenotethatstatutesshallbeconstruedinlightofthepurposesthelegislatureintendedtoaccomplishbytheirpassage.BusinessBrokerage +$( Ctr.entrev.Dixon,874S.W.2d1,5(Tenn.1994).Section241wascodifiedto -&* promoteuniformityinworkers'compensationawards.Brownv.Campbell /(, CountyBd.ofEduc.,915S.W.2d407,414(Tenn.1995).Permitting 1x*. enlargementofawardsorderedpaidinperiodicpaymentsbutnotlumpsumawardsisinconsistentwith241'spolicyofpromotinguniformityofawards.  704  Thelanguagein241providesanavenueforanenlargementofawards withoutregardtowhethertheoriginalawardwaspaidinlumpsumorperiodicpayments.Section241wascodifiedafterthecodificationof231.Wheretwostatutesconflictandcannotbereconciled,theprioractwillberepealedoramendedbyimplicationtotheextentoftheinconsistencybetweenthetwostatutes.Steinhousev.Neal,723S.W.2d625,627(Tenn.1987);Statev. @8  Moore,722S.W.2d367,374(Tenn.1986).Specificstatutoryprovisions   generallyprevailovergeneralprovisionswhenthereisaconflictbetweenstatutes.Tenn.CodeAnn.13103;seealsoMoore,722S.W.2dat374;State  v.Nelson,77S.W.2d465,466(Tenn.Crim.App.1978).Accordingly,wehold  that241(a)(2)controlsovertheprovisionsof231totheextentthetwostatutesconflict.Apetitionunder241(a)(2)isnotprohibitedinacasewheretheoriginalworkers'compensationawardsoughttobeenlargedwaspaidinlumpsum.    STATUTEOFLIMITATIONS  " E2 Mr.BrewersufferedincreasedpainwhileworkingandwasunabletocontinueworkinginJuneof1994.HewasreferredtoDr.AllenwhoperformedamyelograminSeptemberof1994Theresultsofthemyelogramrevealeda"largerecurrentdiscruptureattheL45level."Accordingly,thefullnatureandextentofhisinjurywasnotmanifesteduntilDr.Allendiscoveredtheruptureddisc.SeeUnionCarbideCorp.v.Cannon,523S.W.2d360(Tenn.1975) /(, (holdinglimitationsperiodbegantoaccrueupondiscoveryoftheherniateddiscandnotfromthedateoftheaccident).Mr.Brewer'sstatuteoflimitationsforanewclaimofworkers'compensationbegantoaccrueupontheSeptember1994discoverydate. 816     CONCLUSION   5 Theplaintiff'spetitionforanenlargementofapreviousawardisdismissed.Theplaintiff'sremainingissueconcerningthetrialcourt'sfindingsunder241(c)hasbeenrenderedmoot.Ouranalysisoftheapplicationof241,however,addressedanissueoffirstimpression,andthedefendanthasnotbeenprejudicedbylackoftimelynoticeofMr.Brewer'sattempttoobtainadditionalworkers'compensationbenefits.Theplaintiff'scauseofactionis,therefore,dismissedwithoutprejudice.Costsofthisappealshallbetaxedagainsttheplaintiffforwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.   <      D T$T$MT$ 80    <      D JANICEM.HOLDER,JUSTICE CONCURRING:  ! Anderson,C.J.BirchandBarker,J.J.Tipton,Sp.J.Drowota,J.,NotParticipating