WPC{ Hr=ݼ 'ZXw3|i:ک8e,emUCr9d+V0̩!aA=R-CA"C'r"/`5K_Սc#*;7eg8iraN2NnMT!ה硼\.:fC@xbOrB6^nWTĢu ka"wr=w}) dgUNI % 0(4w@ 0C(nk UB AQ[    U:  U: 5  M 0D 0DW 0D D/ B B+ D3HHP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0vLh(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($liR&3|x {EVӀӀ(2C$ !  ݫ\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT !"#%C<< C   C)  8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    2  A    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? !"  X0XXX2 XX0   Ad FILEDX0X 2  February22,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular !"  X0XXX2 XX0   Ad FILEDX0X 2  February22,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd !  _0XXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tr (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEt (>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP t@  )ATNASHVILLECRAIGR.PITMON h     } p WARRENGENERALSESSIONS  `  `     h     } p No.Below6048GSWC  p  ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     } 0   `     h     } p Hon.BarryMedley @  vs. `     h     } p Judge P   `     h     } `     h     } p No.01S019801GS00011 p  RELIANCEINSURANCE    }   COMPANY    h     }   `     h     } ` Defendant/Appellant    } p MODIFIEDANDREMANDED   ` @(JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  Costswillbepaidbyplaintiff/appellee,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDonFebruaryFebruary22,1999/.December3,1998."*US , US , * `     h      p PERCURIAM  H947 TR[A'[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<3_0 3  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(December11,1998Session)t (>.*jx7` `@E ` 8ttxPJ 7 tr (<,(j 8` `@E@w` 8ttxPxv  r  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?CRAIGR.PITMON, h     ) p # * ## XBX *WARRENGENERALSESSIONS   # *X XB)#  * `     h     )    ` PlaintiffAppellee h     ) p Hon.BarryMedley,    `     h     ) p Judge.   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019801GS00011 J RELIANCEINSURANCE    ) ` COMPANY,   h     ) &v  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellant.    ) R ForAppellant:   h      p   ForAppellee:  RobertJ.Uhorchuk h      p   QuentinScottHorton  < Spicer,Flynn&Rudstrom     p   Horton&Horton "R Chattanooga,Tennessee h      p   McMinnville,Tennessee #h   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION p'"  MembersofPanel: ,.(% WilliamM.Barker,AssociateJusticeWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  <( ` hp x (#X<  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?MODIFIEDANDREMANDED   p      x Loser,Judge {:L62   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION'     ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.RelianceInsuranceCompany,theemployer'sinsurer,contendsthetrialjudgeusedanincorrectcompensationrateandthattheawardofpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsisexcessive.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbemodified. { `  ` Theemployeeorclaimant,Pitmon,initiatedthiscivilactionfordisabilityandmedicalbenefits.Afteratrialofalltheissues,thetrialjudgeawarded,inter ]  alia,permanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedonfiftypercenttothebodyas s  awholeandappliedacompensationrateof$364.63perweek.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionof  correctnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Thistribunalisrequiredtoconductanindependentexaminationoftherecordtodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Wingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty, G 908S.W.2d921,926(Tenn.1995). `  ` Atthetimeofthetrial,theclaimantwas28yearsoldandahighschoolgraduatewithsomecollegeandexperienceintheconstructionindustry.HesufferedalowbackinjuryinFebruaryof1995whileworkingforDavidsonDesignandConstruction.Heiscapableofreadingblueprints,biddingonconstructionprojectsandperformingcostanalyses. `  ` HewastreatedbyDr.ArthurCushman,aboardcertifiedneurosurgeon,whodiagnosedaherniateddiscatL45.Whenconservativecarefailedtorelievetheclaimant'ssymptoms,thedoctorperformedalaminectomyanddiskectomyonMay31,1995and,afteraperiodofrecovery,assessedhispermanentimpairmentratingateightpercenttothewholebody.Dr.TimothySchoettle,anotherneurosurgeon,examinedtheclaimantandassessedapermanentimpairmentratingoftenpercenttothewholebody. `  ` Duringthetrial,theclaimantdemonstratedhislimitationsbybendingforward,backwardandsideways.Hetestifiedtoanumberoftaskshewasunabletoperform.HehasattendedMotlowCollegeandMiddleTennesseeStateUniversitybutdidnotearnthedegreehewasseeking.Avocationalexpertestimatedhisdisabilityeliminateshimfromconsiderationforapproximatelytwothirdsofthejobsforwhichheisotherwisequalified.Aftersurgery,heworkedbrieflyasadelivererforDomino'sPizza,butquitbecausecontinuallygettinginandoutofacar,alongwithbendingandsquatting,renderedhimunabletocontinue.Hehasnotdoneanyotherworksincethesurgeryandhasnotreturnedtohispreinjurywork. ` { ` ForinjuriesoccurringonorafterAugust1,1992,whereaninjuredworkerisentitledtoreceivepermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitstothebodyas F830 awhole,andthepreinjuryemployerdoesnotreturntheemployeetoemploymentatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewagetheemployeewasreceivingatthetimeoftheinjury,themaximumpermanentpartialdisabilityawardthattheemployeemayreceiveissixtimesthemedicalimpairmentratingdeterminedpursuanttotheaboveguidelines.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506241(b).Ifacourtawardsamultiplieroffiveorgreater,thenthecourtmustmakespecificfindingsoffactdetailingthereasonsforitsaward,consideringallrelevantfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,theemployee'sage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunitiesandcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimant'sdisabledcondition.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506241(c)...Thetrialcourt'sawardequatestoonebasedonfivetimestheimpairmentratingoftheexaminingphysician.Wedonotfindintherecordthefindingsrequiredforanawardoffivetimesthemedicalimpairmentrating.Accordingly,theawardismodifiedtoonebasedonfourtimesthemedicalimpairmentratingassessedbythehighlyqualifiedoperatingsurgeon,orthirtytwopercenttothebodyasawhole.  ....Theremainingissueinvolvestheclaimant'scompensationrate.Disabilitybenefitsarecomputedonaweeklybasisand,subjecttomaximumandminimumamountsfixedbyTenn.CodeAnn.section506207,arebasedontheemployee'saverageweeklywages,ortheearningsofinjuredemployeeintheemploymentinwhichhewasworkingatthetimeoftheinjuryduringthefiftytwoweeksimmediatelyprecedingthedateoftheinjury,dividedbyfiftytwo.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506102(a)(1)(A).Dayslostbecauseofsicknessorotherfortuitouscircumstancesshouldbededucted.Russellv.Genesco,651S.W.2d206(Tenn.1983).Whereanemployeeworksparttime,orhasbeenemployedforlessthanfiftytwoweeksimmediatelyprecedingtheinjury,hisaverageweeklywageisordinarilycomputedbydividingthetotalwagesreceivedduringtheyearbythenumberofweeksduringwhichtheemployeereceivedwages.Jonesv.Crenshaw,645S.W.2d238(Tenn.1983).....Theweeklycompensationrateforaninjuredemployee'spermanentpartialdisabilityisanamountequaltosixtysixandtwothirdspercentoftheemployee'saverageweeklywage.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506207(3)(A).Thetrialjudgeerredbyfindingtheclaimant'sweeklycompensationratetobe$364.63,basedonestimatedfutureearnings.....Fromourexaminationoftherecord,itappearsthattheclaimantworked23ofthe52weeksimmediatelyprecedinghisinjury,earning$9,561.24,accordingtohisowncalculation,resultinginanaverageweeklywageof$415.71,whichconvertstoacompensationrateof$277.14.Thejudgmentisfurthermodifiedtoprovideforacompensationrateof$277.14.....Sincethetrialjudgeorderedthebenefitspaidinalumpsum,forwhichnoissueisraisedinthisappeal,thecaseisremandedtotheGeneralSessionsCourtofWarrenCountyforentryofajudgmentconsistentherewith.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiffappellee.  2( ` hp x (#2_______________________________  ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  5+ ` hp x (#5CONCUR:_________________________________WilliamM.Barker,AssociateJustice_________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge&`  x (#&Ӝ