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XV'XXXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tr (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r@0 0 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE    ATNASHVILLE  JAMESR.SIMPSON   h   )  OvertonCountyCircuit      `     h   )  No.3264     Plaintiff/Appellee h   ) `     `     h   )  Hon.JohnMaddux, 6   v.   `     h   )  Judge  \     `     h   )LIVINGSTONLIMESTONECO.,INC.)  S.Ct.No.01S019712CC00282      `     h   )  Defendant/Appellant h   )  AFFIRMED d  @#JUDGMENTORDER `     ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupondefendantsmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;   ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and   ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.   ` Costswillbepaidbydefendantappellantandsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.   `     h     PERCURIAM/Barker,J.,notparticipating TS #X XXXV'#X   US  TS   0N,5 TR[A'[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<XX    INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(December11,1998Session)r (<,(j 8` `@E@a ` 8ttxPx`  r  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?JAMESR.SIMPSON, h     ) p OVERTONCIRCUIT    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellee,    ) p Hon.JohnMaddux,    `     h     ) p Judge.   v. `     h     ) 4 t (>.*jxl` `@E ` 8ttxPA t `     h     ) p No.01S019712CV00282 J LIVINGSTONLIMESTONE    ) ` CO.,INC.,    h     ) &v  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellant.    ) R ForAppellant:   h      p ForAppellee:  JeffreyP.Boyd   h      p RandallA.York & Allen&Kliner   h      p Upchurch,Colvard,York&  < Jackson,Tennessee h      p Ramsey "R  `     h      p Crossville,Tennessee  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION p'"  MembersofPanel: ,.(% WilliamM.Barker,AssociateJusticeWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  <( ` hp x (#X<  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?:L62d   AFFIRMED   h      p      x  Loser,  Judge {  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION'P     ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theemployer,LivingstonLimestoneCo.,Inc.,insiststhetrialjudgeerredinfindingtheemployee'sherniatobecompensableandthattheawardofpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsisexcessive.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. { `  ` Theemployeeorclaimant,Simpson,initiatedthiscivilactiontorecoverdisabilitybenefitsbecauseofahernia.Afteratrialofalltheissues,thetrialjudgefoundtheherniatobecompensableundertheWorkers'CompensationActandawarded,interalia,permanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedonforty  sevenpercenttothebodyasawhole.Wehavereviewedthecasedenovoupon  therecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2). `  ` Theclaimantis34yearsoldwithaneighthgradeeducation,whoworkedfortheemployerasatruckdriver.OnJuly19,1995,hesoughtmedicaltreatmentfromDr.LeonardCarrollforaleftinguinalhernia.ThedoctorsurgicallyrepairedtheherniaandreleasedtheclaimanttoreturntoworkonAugust30,1995.Therepairwascomplete.Theclaimantreturnedtoworkandmadenoclaimforworkers'compensationbenefits. `  ` OnOctober16,1996,whileliftingaheavyobjectinthecourseofhisemployment,theclaimantfeltasharppaininhisleftsideandtesticles,causinghimtofeelsick.HeinformedhissupervisorandthenextdayvisitedDr.Carroll.Theclaimanttestifiedthatthesecondherniaappearedsuddenlyandimmediatelyfollowingtheliftingepisode,wasaccompaniedbypainanddidnotexist,tohisknowledge,beforetheaccident.ThesecondherniawasalsorepairedbyDr.Carroll,whothereafterrestrictedtheclaimantfromliftingover10to15pounds,stooping,crawling,climbing,jogging,running,operatinganyheavyequipmentrequiringtheuseofaclutch,movingbothfeetwhileworkingwiththehandsorengaginginvigorousexercise. `  ` Dr.Carrolltestifiedthatthesecondherniawasanewone.Dr.Hargreaves,afterreviewingmedicalrecordsfromthefirstherniaandtheoperativereportfromthesecondone,agreed.Thetreatingdoctorestimatedtheclaimant'spermanentimpairmentattwentyfivepercent.Theclaimanthasreturnedtowork. ` { ` TheTennesseeWorkers'CompensationActdealsspecificallywithclaimsforcompensationbenefitsforherniaorrupture.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506212.Insuchcases,theclaimantmustbeabletosatisfactorilyshowthe 9g41 following: ` First.   Thattherewasaninjuryresultinginaherniaorrupture. {   ` Second.  Thattheherniaorruptureappearedsuddenly.   ` Third.   h Thatitwasaccompaniedbypain.   ` Fourth.  Thattheherniaorrupturedidnotexistpriortothe (#   )  `    accidentforwhichcompensationisclaimed. ` Fifth.   Thatitimmediatelyfollowedtheaccident.  U  `  ` Ithasbeenheldthataherniais"immediate"ifitappearssosoonaftertheinjurythatitwouldnotbepossibletoattributeittoanyothercause.Etterv. G  BlueDiamondCoalCo.,187Tenn.407,215S.W.2d803(1948). ]  Aggravationorexacerbationofacongenitalornoncompensableherniaisnotcovered;Cappsv.GoodlarkMedicalCenter,804S.W.2d887(Tenn.1991);   butwhenanemployeehasarecurrenceofacompensableherniaorinthecourseofemploymentheaggravatesapreviouslycompensablehernia,heisentitledtofurthercompensationbenefits,ifcausationisproved.Cookv.GreatWestCas.  Co.,779S.W.2d365(Tenn.1989).Theexistenceofapriorherniaorrupture 1 onthesamesiteasacurrentherniawillnotnecessarilydefeatrecoverywherethenewherniameetsthestatutorycriteriaforcompensability.Cappsv.  ] GoodlarkMedicalCenter,804S.W.2d887(Tenn.1991).Sincetheproof #s establishesthatthisclaimant'ssecondherniameetsthestatutorycriteriaforcompensability,thefirstissueiswithoutmerit. `  ` Oncethecausationandpermanencyofaninjuryhavebeenestablishedbyexperttestimony,thetrialjudgemayconsidermanypertinentfactors,includingage,jobskills,education,training,durationofdisability,andjobopportunitiesforthedisabled,inadditiontoanatomicalimpairment,forthepurposeofevaluatingtheextentofaclaimant'spermanentdisability.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506241(a)(2);McCalebv.SaturnCorp.,910S.W.2d412(Tenn. #9 1995).Theopinionofaqualifiedexpertwithrespecttoaclaimant'sclinicalorphysicalimpairmentisafactorwhichthecourtwillconsideralongwithallotherrelevantfactsandcircumstances,butitisforthecourtstodeterminethepercentageoftheclaimant'sindustrialdisability.Hinsonv.WalMartStores, A(#! Inc.,654S.W.2d675(Tenn.1983).Moreover,wearenotatlibertyto W)$" substitutetosubstituteourownopinionastotheextentofaninjuredworker'sdisabilityforthatofthetrialjudge.SeeCollinsv.HowmetCorp.,970S.W.2d +&$ 941(Tenn.1998). `  ` Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaccordinglyaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendantappellant. rA  <( ` hp x (#X<_______________________________ rA  ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?CONCUR: 8"40 _________________________________WilliamM.Barker,AssociateJustice_________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge0`  x (#X0# G ##X X( #