WPCp &7Q֋qsw*z ^7I `l͵T+Qu?v/ ?(_ Z=3TI D_{<ݹ6T"hvbgoKVuT=#T^6d@1uͶVwaR?vxok.5 % 0(@w(4"6 AQEU:UN  & . 6 > F N V ^  f  p 0CzUNn  UB    U:  B 0D 0DL 0D D/ B B  D3=(9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($c:\office\wpwin\template\jo.wptDӀ V Ӏyk&13|x !"#%C<< C !"   XMXXX "AX XM   Ad FILED XMX "A  June15,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regulari1i2i3i4i5i6i7i8i9i10i11(2B$ !  (hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT !"  XMXXX"AXXM   Ad FILEDXMX"A  June15,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh   B)  8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    2  A    ?+ ` hp x (#` X?,cAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd !  TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T?XXr (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r@  INTHESUPREMEOFTENNESSEE  @'ATNASHVILLE %  NPSENERGYSERVICES,INC.% @-} p %  DAVIDSONCHANCERY%   @ @-} p No.Below%  962345I%L  P  ` Plaintiff/Appell%  ee%@-}  ` @-} p Hon.%  HonorableIrvinH.Kilcrease%  p vs.@-H-} 0  @-}@-} p No.%  01S019805CH00088% P  %  WILLIAME.RANKIN%)@-} `  @-} ` Defendant/Appell%  ant%@-} p %  AFFIRMED%  @&JUDGMENTORDER   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingthe 0 orderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` Costswillbepaidby%  defendant/appellant% ,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ` ITISSOORDEREDon%  June15,1999% . `     h      p PERCURIAM `3.,  ` #X\X?}#  50.   TR[A'[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<?XX\ ?  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(March31,1999Session)   r(<,(j 8` `@E@a ` 8ttxPx`  r   ?+ ` hp x (#` X?NPSENERGYSERVICES,INC.  ) p DAVIDSONCHANCERY    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellee,    ) p Hon.IrvinH.Kilcrease,    `     h     ) p Chancellor. 4 v. `     h     ) J  `     h     ) p No.01S019805CH00088 ` WILLIAME.RANKIN, h     ) &v  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellant.    ) R ForAppellant:   h      p ForAppellee:  J.AnthonyArena   h      p JadeA.Rogers  < Schulman,LeRoy&Bennett     p Gallatin,Tennessee "R Nashville,Tennessee  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION (#! MembersofPanel: -D)& FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJusticeThomasW.Brothers,SpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  <( ` hp x (#X<:L62   ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  AFFIRMED   h      p      x  Loser,  Judge {  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION')     ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanelinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.#X X c #  XX    XX   506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theinjuredemployeecontendstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfindingthatheisnotpermanentlyvocationallydisabled.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. { `  ` Theemployeeorclaimant,Rankin,sufferedabackstrainwhileperforminghisdutiesasaboilermaker,whileemployedbyNPSEnergyServices,Inc.onMay2,1996.Hisforemansenthimtothefirstaidclinicwherehewastreatedwithiceandassignedtolightduty.Whenthepainpersisted,hewasreferredtoDr.WilliamGavigan,whoorderedtestsandprovidedconservativecare. `  ` Dr.Gavigandiagnosedlumbarstrainandruledoutaherniateddisc.Amagneticresonanceimagingtestorderedbythedoctorrevealed"mild"and"insignificant"degenerativediscdiseaseandadiscbulge,accordingtoDr.Gavigan,whodetectedsome"symptommagnification"andopinedtherewouldbenopermanentmedicalimpairment.Theclaimanthascontinuedtoworkasaboilermaker. `  ` Theclaimant'sattorneyreferredhimtoDr.DavidGawforanevaluation.Dr.GawessentiallyagreedwithDr.Gavigan'sfindings,butassignedapermanentimpairmentratingoffivepercenttothewholebody. `  ` Thechancellor,relyingonDr.Gavigan'sopinions,foundthattheemployeefailedtoestablishpermanencybyapreponderanceoftheevidence.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedby 'L#! apresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.#X X #  XX    XXԀ506225(e)(2).Inallbutthe (*x%# mostobviouscases,permanencymustbeestablishedbyexpertmedicaltestimony.Wadev.AetnaCasualtyandSuretyCompany,735S.W.2d215 T,'% (Tenn.1987). `  ` Whenthemedicaltestimonydiffers,thetrialjudgemustchoosewhichviewtobelieve.Indoingso,heisallowed,amongotherthings,toconsiderthequalificationsoftheexperts,thecircumstancesoftheirexamination,theinformationavailabletothem,andtheevaluationoftheimportanceofthatinformationbyotherexperts.Ormanv.WilliamsSonoma,Inc.,803S.W.2d 3>/, 672(Tenn.1991).Moreover,itiswithinthediscretionofthetrialjudgetoconcludethattheopinionofcertainexpertsshouldbeacceptedoverthatofotherexpertsandthatitcontainsthemoreprobableexplanation.Hinsonv. 072/ WalMartStores,654S.W.2d675,6757(Tenn.1983). F830  `  F830  ` Therecordreflectsthatbothphysiciansareeminentlyqualifiedorthopedicsurgeons.Thus,wecannotsaythatthechancellor,whoalsohadtheopportunitytoobserveandevaluatethelaytestimony,abusedhisdiscretionbyacceptingtheopinionofthetreatingphysician,Dr.Gavigan. `  ` Forthosereasons,thepanelcannotfindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthechancellor'sfindings.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant.  rA  <( ` hp x (#X<_______________________________  rA  ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?CONCUR:_________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice_________________________________ThomasW.Brothers,SpecialJudge0`  x (#X0Ӝ