WPC 7B\_~z2 ЮɖQe\OEtV[v X`"2 R_2ni !0ȲI&nO&hښ֣,̉&nsCtT3Qb]c" 7R+Fjɐ4U.BM]aW=(x,@Ri%sUjV#awkh )4́[M ]vDD[M?;Cr B; S^vZV]0O4``p2>NyF]nRBg׷ d!*V2HFr%դ͠(ꧯPW=5jgL=CN08DmI_vg`LQu=d)qF *'ۄo &[U;SXXdPỴԎ,.!AA/)# >UNI % 0(4w@(U:+ 0Ben  AQ UB J U:M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M  0DM 0D 0D D/ BH Be D3HP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0vLh(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($~%3|x |D}~DӀV DӀ !"   XMXXX RX XM   Ad FILED XMX R  December3,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular("$ !  ݫ\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP   )  8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    2  A    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? !"#%C<< C\  `*Times New RomanTT !"  XMXXXRXXM   Ad FILEDXMXR  December3,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd !  )XXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tr (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@  )ATNASHVILLEt (>.*jxo` `@ED` 8ttxP|  tMARGIEBYERS   h     } p WARRENGENERALSESSIONS  `  `     h     } p No.Below6362GSWC  p  ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     } 0   `     h     } p Hon.BarryMedley @  vs. `     h     } p Judge P   `     h     } `     h     } p No.01S019711GS00245 p  CALFEECOMPANYOFDALTON,  }   INC.   h   }   `     h     } ` Defendant/Appellant    } p AFFIRMED x   @(JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  Costswillbepaidbydefendant/appelwlant,wforwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDonxxyxDecemberxyyDecemberyxx}3}~{2{~|z1z|z,1998.z"*US , US , * `     h      p PERCURIAM  8836 TR[A'[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT8   &    <( ` hp x (#X<*) *  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEr(<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  rt(>.*jx#` `@E^` 8ttxP # tSPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(September16,1998Session)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?MARGIEBYERS   h     )WARRENGENERALSESSIONS    `     h     ) `  PlaintiffAppellee,   p ) p Hon.BarryH.Medley,    `     h     ) p Judge.   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019711GS00245 J CALFEECOMPANYOF    ) ` DALTON,INC.   h     ) &v  `     h     ) `  DefendantAppellant.  ) R ForAppellant:   h      p   ForAppellee:  KittyBoyte    h      p   SonyaW.Henderson  < Gracey,Ruth,Howard,Tate&Sowell p     Murfreesboro, "R TennesseeNashville,Tennessee .$~   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION )$" MembersofPanel:  /Z*' FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.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'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theemployer,CalfeeCompany,insiststheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sawardofpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedonfortypercenttothebodyasawholeandinfavorofalesseraward.Asdiscussedbelow,thispanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  { ` Ourreviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.Humphreyv.DavidWitherspoon,  Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987).  { (  ` Atthetimeoftrial,theemployeeorclaimant,MargieByers,wasfiftysixyearsoldwithaGEDandworkexperienceprimarilyinlowskilljobssuchascashier,waitressandbabysitter.Shebeganworkingfortheemployerasacashier,withadditionaldutiesofstockingshelvesandcleaningthefacility,inJulyof1995.OnDecember12,1995,shefellwithacaseofbeerinherarms,injuringherneck,backandarms.Shewastakentotheemergencyroombytheemployer.Shehasbeenseensubsequentlybyanumberofdoctors. ` OnJanuary3,1996,theclaimantsawDr.TimothySchoettle,aneurosurgeon,whoorderedXraysandMRI,fromwhichhediagnosedaligamentousinjurywithmildinstabilityofthecervicalspine,superimposedondegenerativediscdisease.Thedoctorsawtheclaimantonlyonce,butprovidedconservativecarethrougharegisterednurseandtelephonecalls.OnApril4,1996,heopinedshehadreachedmaximummedicalimprovementandwouldretainnopermanentmedicalimpairment. ` Dr.JohnMcInnis,anorthopedicsurgeon,sawtheclaimantonceanddiagnosedcervicalsprain,lowbacksprainandfibromyalgia.Dr.McInnisassessedtheclaimant'spermanentmedicalimpairmentatfivepercenttothewholeperson,usingappropriateguidelines. ` Dr.DavidGaw,anotherorthopedicsurgeon,sawtheclaimantonceanddiagnoseddegenerativecervicaldiscdiseasewithsuperimposedstrainandlumbosacralstrain.Dr.Gawassessedtheclaimant'spermanentimpairmentattenpercenttothewholeperson,fromappropriateguidelines,andrestrictedherfromliftingmorethanthirtypounds,repetitivebending,stooping,andliftingwitharmsabovetheshoulderlevel.Thetrialcourt'sawardequalsfourtimes ,8|31 Dr.Gaw'simpairmentrating...TheemployerfirstcontendsthetrialjudgeerredinconsideringtheopinionofDr.Gawoverthatoftheotherdoctors.Trialjudgeshavethediscretiontodeterminewhichofconflictingmedicaltestimonytoacceptorreject.Kellermanv.FoodLion,Inc.,929S.W.2d333,335(Tenn.1996).WefindintherecordnoreasonforrejectingDr.Gaw'sopinion;andthetrialjudgedidnoterrinacceptingDr.Gaw'sopinion...Theemployernextcontendsthetrialjudgeerredinfindingthatitdidnotprovideameaningfulreturntoworktotheclaimant,soastocapherawardpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.section506241(a)(1).Thatsectionofthecodeprovidesthatincaseswhereaninjuredworkerisentitledtopermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitstothebodyasawholeandthepreinjuryemployerreturnstheemployeetoemploymentatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewagetheemployeewasreceivingatthetimeoftheinjury,themaximumpermanentpartialdisabilityawardthattheemployeemayreceiveistwoandonehalftimesthemedicalimpairmentrating.If,however,theofferfromtheemployerisnotreasonableinlightofthecircumstancesoftheemployee'sphysicaldisabilitytoperformtheofferedemployment,thentheofferofemploymentisnotmeaningfulandtheinjuredemployeemayreceivedisabilitybenefitsuptosixtimesthemedicalimpairment.Newtonv.ScottHealthCareCenter,914S.W.2d884(Tenn.1995).Ontheotherhand,anemployeewillbelimitedtodisabilitybenefitsofnotmorethantwoandonehalftimesthemedicalimpairmentifhisrefusaltoreturntoofferedworkisunreasonable.Id.Theresolutionofwhatisreasonablemustrestonthefactsofeachcaseandbedeterminedthereby.Id.  ..Inthiscase,theclaimantreturnedtoworkafterreachingmaximummedicalimprovement,butcomplainedofinabilitytoworkbecauseofdisablingpain.Insteadofattemptingtoaccommodateherandbecauseofhercomplaints,theclaimantwasterminatedbytheemployer.Undersuchcircumstances,wecannotsaythetrialjudgeerredinawardingmorethantwoandonehalftimesthemedicalimpairmentrating...Inmakingdeterminationsastotheextentofaninjuredworker'spermanentdisability,thecourtsaretoconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,theemployee'sage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunitiesforthedisabled,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableintheclaimant'sdisabledcondition.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506241.Fromadeliberateconsiderationoftherecord,wedonotfindtheevidencetopreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourt...Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendantappellant.  l(  2( ` hp x (#2_______________________________    ......JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  5+ ` hp x (#5CONCUR:_________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice_________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge# x (##Ӝ