WPC \VҦJU|ťAv~ ӧB=7Y*=a%#ør! d8[W@:XN\)Iq%vv򸄑JGi8"o_N Ӟz( "XNM(R!LӶq["* rc4][iZiҦ,.]HXY\%}9}B(cP Oxڢ o1\ 2x?qr̯/a6cN'ln+%l12e͠cҪ5"<3hSy( |H+4ix% ɽsI+ؼj%DٽHA8Uky|$נ_z3RRt7B9;*Bq !%~6§KR6#  UN) %w 0} U:x4U: wL  0?U 0DU:UNL[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ Bjjjjjj D3 0 D+ AOKK 0D D/U B AY 0FHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial Regulary& 3|x@  XXXX OX X Ad   FILED & O   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial RegularH ??D?D?D?%e?e?Ӏ@@@V@@((3b|$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXȐXXX7u"XXdd7   `   0  (#$  0   XȐXXXzXXȐ Ad   FILEDz   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular XXXXOXX Ad   FILED#XXO#&XX   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk  XȐXXXzXXȐ Ad   FILED#XȐXz#XXȐ   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk  d$$$$'dxd(3$ H=!  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HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXȐXXX7u"XXdd7  ????????X     ќ@` XXXXȐn*8($hxR `Ektt068n ` ` ` $` $@@ MINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@@oo#MATKNOXVILLE @  @  @h  @  @  @p  @  @   @  @  @  @h  @  @  @p @ @  @  @` @  @`  @  @  @h  @  @  @p  @ RONALDTATE @h  @ )KNOXCHANCERY @x  @  @  @  @h  @  @  ` $` $` ` ) @p No.1317921HҀ @ PlaintiffAppellee, @  @ ) @p  @  @   @x  @  XX @  @  @h  @  @ ) @p No.03S019809CH00106 @ v. @  @  @h  @ 0 @ ) @  @  @h  @  @ ) @p  @  @   @x TRAVELERSINSURANCE @ )COMPANY0 @  @h  @  @ ) @p Hon.FrederickD.McDonald @  @  @  @  @ ̀ @  @  @h  @ ) @p Chancellor @ DefendantAppellant @  @ ) @p  @  @   @x  @ ̀ @ . @  @  @h  @  @  @h JUDGMENTORDER @ ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; @ Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and @ Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. @ Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant,TravelersInsuranceCompanyandWeldonE.Patterson,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.̀08/04/99#XȐXXXd#@ h.*5 @n*8($hxO `E0tt06/5nߛ ` ` ` 8"` 8"@ 8  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE 21r-9 SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@l*6&"h 8 `Exqtt06pl??@KNOXVILLE,MAY1999SESSION  X51?   ` 8"` 8"` ` ??RONALDTATE h ??     p )  ??KNOXCHANCERY?? w=9K   `     h     ) p     ` ??Plaintiff/Appellee?? h     ) p     `     h     )V. `     h     ) p Hon.??FrederickD.?? x   (#  r   `     h   ??  )?? p ??McDonald,Chancellor?? X  ??TRAVELERSINSURANCECOMPANY??  ) p ?? >~ ?? `     h     ) ` ??Defendant/Appellant??    ) p No.??03S019809CH00106??  J  FortheAppellant:   h      p FortheAppellee:   ??WeldonE.Patterson h      p J.RandolphHumble X Spicer,Flynn&Rudstrom h      p Rainwater&Humble >~ FirstTennesseePlaza,Suite1209   p FirstTenn.Plaza,Suite2037 $d 800S.GayStreet   h      p 800S.GayStreet  J Knoxville,??Tenn.??37929?? h      p Knoxville,Tenn.??37929?? 0    MEMORANDUMOPINION  T$ $  MembersofPanel: &&f"&  FrankF.DrowotaIII,Justice '>$( JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeRogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge AFFIRMED.    h      p   THAYER,SpecialJudge =9@ Ї ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.?? ` TravelersInsuranceCompanyhasappealedfromtheactionofthetrialcourtinawardingplaintiff,RonaldTate,30%permanentpartialdisabilitytothebodyasawhole. ` Thesoleissueonappealiswhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheconclusionofthetrialcourt. ` Plaintiffwas49yearsofageandisahighschoolgraduate.HewasemployedbyLuxuryTownhousesasamaintenanceworker.DuringOctober1995heinjuredhisrightshoulderwhileattemptingtomoveahotwatertank.HewastakingtherapytreatmentsduringNovember1995whenhesustainedaninjurytohislowback.Hestatedhewastakinganewexercisewhichrequiredhimtoarchhisbackandpulldownonsomeweights.Heheardhisbacksnapandhecouldnotgetup.Theappealonlyinvolvesthebackinjury. ` Hetestifiedhehadnotrecoveredfromthisinjuryandcouldnotstandverylongorsitforalengthyperiodoftime.Atthetrialbelow,hewasworkingparttime(4hoursweek)asacustodianatachurch. ` Alloftheexpertmedicaltestimonywaspresentedbydeposition. ` Dr.GregoryMathien,anorthopedicsurgeon,testifiedhesawplaintiffconcerninghisshoulderinjury;thatDr.JamesK.Maguire,Jr.referredthepatienttohimandthatheperformedsurgeryonhisshoulderforarotatorcuffinjury;andthatDr.Maguirewastreatinghimforhisbackinjury.Dr.Maguiresrecordswereintroducedasanexhibittothedepositionandindicatedhedidnothaveanyobjectivefindingsconcerningthebackinjury. ` Dr.GilbertHyde,anorthopedicsurgeon,examinedplaintiffonMarch18,1997forevaluationpurposes.Hetestifiedplaintiffhadsurgeryduring1986onhisbackandthata15%impairmentresultedfromthisinjuryandsurgery.Hisdiagnosiswasthatplaintiffhadsustainedan?aggravationof??aggravationof?hislumbarspineandhebasedhisconclusiononhisfindingsoftenderness,musclespasmsandmoderaterestrictionsinthemotionofthelumbarspine.Heopinedplaintiffhadanadditional5%medical t;7> impairmentasaresultoftheaggravationinjuryandstatedheshouldobserverestrictionsonlifting,bendingandstooping. ` Dr.W.KevinBailey,aphysicalmedicineandrehabilitationdoctor,testifiedhetreatedplaintiffforhislastbackinjury.Hisdiagnosiswasanaggravationofapriorherniateddiscsurgeryandsubsequentdegenerativediscdisease.Heimposedrestrictionsonprolongedstanding,sitting,etc.Ondirectexamination,hestatedtheaggravationoftheoldbackinjuryresulted?ina??ina?2%medicalimpairment.However,oncrossexamination,hewithdrewthisimpairmentratingsayingtheimpairmentratingfortheoldbackinjuryprohibitedaneworadditionalratingofimpairment. ` Avocationalrehabilitationwitnesstestifiedorallybeforethetrialcourtandwasoftheopinionplaintiffhada70%vocationaldisabilityasaresultofhisbackinjury. ` ThetrialcourtacceptedthetestimonyofDr.Baileyoverotherconflictingmedicaltestimonyandcappedtheawardatsixtimesthe5%medicalimpairmentrating.Incomputingtheaward,thetrialcourtstatedhislegaldisabilityactuallyexceededthestatutorycap. ` The??caseistoberevieweddenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffactunlesswefindthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.T.C.A.506225(e)(2).?? ` Ifthereisconflictingmedicaltestimony,thetrialjudgehasdiscretiontoconcludethattheopinionofaparticularexpertshouldbeacceptedoverthatofanotherexpertandthatoneexpertstestimonycontainsamoreprobableexplanationthananotherexpertstestimony.Thomasv.AetnaLife&Cas.Co.,812S.W.2d278 |)%* (Tenn.1991). ` Whileatreatingdoctorstestimonyisentitledtoconsiderableweight,thetrialcourtisnotboundbythetestimonyofanyexpertwitness.Ormanv.Williams .$+0 Sonoma,Inc.,803S.W.2d672,676(Tenn.1991);Johnsonv.Midwesco,Inc.,801 0,2 S.W.2d804,806(Tenn.1990).??  ?? 2.4  ` Wehavereviewedthecaseundertheserulesandcannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheconclusionofthetrialcourt.Therefore,thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costsoftheappealaretaxedto?plaintiff??thedefendant???,??.%   `     h     ___________________________________ `     h     RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge f<8? Ї????CONCUR:________________________________  FrankF.DrowotaIII,Justice________________________________JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudge@     @@@@` Xl XXXn*8($hxR `Ektt068n ` ` ` $` $@n n INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@##$ATKNOXVILLE    h      p      x     h      p  `        `   `     h      p   RONALDTATE h   )KNOXCHANCERY x  @   ` $` $` `     h      p )  No.1317921 0 p  HҀ PlaintiffAppellee,    ) p      x    `   XX    h     ) p No.03S019809CH00106  P  v.    h   0  )@ 8"8"     h     ) p      x  0  TRAVELERSINSURANCE  )   COMPANY0   h     ) p Hon.FrederickD.McDonald @  @  @  @  @ 8"8" Ѐ    h   ) p Chancellor   DefendantAppellant    ) p      x    Ѐ   .    h       h JUDGMENTORDER ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant,TravelersInsuranceCompanyandWeldonE.Patterson,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.̀08/04/99#XX XXl"#@ -@)3 Ѐ