WPCw  <G 옏_K:U ,tC'1 5DNSA -onaw֢DT.= usfځ7K}%6/@@Iӗj %S~.ewEϝDT[-őQnxVZ1'c럭oU~K3>G"-/MQCpO+}X:6#J~MxCs{.xB/Tu?(;XJ:fI*+fdQD5Q31vqts-c7?"ߟN$tU%M}tS`K+N(hbS bHtڅTW42"]t+0DZϙg{wYklUNI % 0(4w@(U:+eeh AQpUNU:                I 0D 0DS 0D D/ B B' D3D HP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0vLh(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($~%3|x ӀVӀ !"   X_XXX +X X_   Ad FILED X_X +  December3,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular !"  X_XXX+XX_   Ad FILEDX_X+  December3,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh  !"#%C<< C(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular,cAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd !  nXXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tr (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@  )ATNASHVILLEPATRICIAHENLEY h     } p FRANKLINCHANCERY  `  `     h     } p No.Below14,9386362GSWC  p  ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     } 0   `     h     } p Hon.JeffreyF.StewartBarryMedley @  vs. `     h     } p ChancellorJudge P   `     h     } `     h     } p No.01S019802711CHGS00036245 p  CKRINDUSTRIES,INC.    }    `    h   }   ` Defendant/Appellant    }   `     h     } p AFFIRMED x   @(JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  Costswillbepaidbydefendant/appellant,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDonDecember3,1998."US ,  `     h      p PERCURIAM  8836   7lXdXXd7yn  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @@B B SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@@ATNASHVILLE   X 7 C PATRICIAHENLEY, h     ) p FRANKLINCHANCERY    `     h     ) p     ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     ) p NO.01S019802CH00036   r (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  rߛ `     h     ) p  4 v. `     h     ) p  J  `     h     ) p  ` CKRINDUSTRIES,INC.,    ) p HON.JEFFREYF.STEWART, &v  `     h     ) p CHANCELLOR <  ` Defendant/Appellant    )#ny # R  FortheAppellant: h     FortheAppellee:   A.GregoryRamos h     PatrickJ.McHale  NORTH,PURSELL h     FloydDonDavis,P.C.   Ѐ&RAMOS,PLC h     201FirstAvenue,N.W. !$ МNationsBankPlaza,Suite1850    Winchester,Tennessee37398 "4 414UnionStreetNashville,Tennessee372191783yn   MEMORANDUMOPINION z,'% MembersofPanel: #ny#FrankF.Drowota,III,Justiceyn 0",) WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,SpecialJudge |941 ЇAFFIRMED   h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge   @) I$ yOPINION#y  I$# yԈ ,     ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers' 2  CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#m #     ` Theplaintiffwasawardedbenefitsforatenpercentpermanentdisabilitytoherrightarmandtheemployerappeals,insistingthatproofislackingoftherequiredcausalrelationship. ` TheplaintiffallegedthatshesufferedajobrelatedinjuryonNovember6,1995.Shewas42yearsold,andbeganemploymentinFebruary1995,whichcontinueduntilMarch,1996.Herdutiesinvolvedbatchbonding,arepetitivetask,andotheractivities. ` OnMarch5,1996,shewaslaidoffasaresultofareductionintheworkforce.ShehadreportedherallegedinjuryofNovember6,1995,andthedefendantimmediatelyprovidedherwithalistofphysicians.SheselectedDr.EphraimGammada,andsawhimonthesameday. ` Dr.GammadatreatedtheplaintiffthroughSeptember9,1996,anddiagnosedherconditionasacutetendinitis.OnApril26,1996,hethoughtthetendinitishadresolved. ` Followingtheterminationofheremploymentwiththedefendant,sheheldasuccessionofjobswhichinvolvedrepetitiveactions.Shecontinuedtohave difficultieswithherarmandreturnedtoDr.Gammadafromtimetotime. 32/,  ` Theproblemswithherarmdidnotresolve.ShenolongersawDr.Gammadabecausehischargeswerenotpaid,andherattorneyreferredhertoDr.RichardFishbein,anorthopedicspecialist.Hercomplaintsremainedconstant.  ` Dr.Gammadamadenoevaluationoftheplaintiff,anddeclinedtosaywhethershehadanimpairmentornot. ` Dr.FishbeintookahistoryfromtheplaintiffandalsoreviewceivedDr.Gammadasnotes,followingwhichheexaminedtheplaintiff.Hediagnosedearlycarpaltunnelsyndrome,tendinitisandaganglioncyst,whichheattributedtorepetitiveworkactivityduringemploymenatthedefendantsplant.Heassessedafivepercentimpairmenttoherrightarm. ` TheappellantarguesthatDr.Fishbeinsimpairmentratingisbasedonhisdiagnosisofcarpaltunnelsyndrome,aconditionneverbeforementioned,whichwasmade18monthsafterherterminationbythedefendant.Inthisconnection,Dr.Fishbeintestifiedthattheworkatsubsequentemploymentmightwellhaveaggravatedtheplaintiffscondition, ...butshesurelyhadsymptomsofitwhileatCKR.̀ ` Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovouponthe P  recordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn. $  506225(e)(2);Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).##   &D"   ` #  #Theappellantarguesthatproofofcausationislacking,butthisrequirement  )p$" issatisfiediftheinjuryhadarationalcausalconnectiontothe employeeswork.# # @+&$ Bradenv.SearsRoebuck&Co.,883S.W.2d496(Tenn.1992).Generally,an `-(& injuryarisesoutofandinthecourseofemploymentifithasarational,causalconnectiontotheworkandoccurswhiletheemployeeisengagedinthedutiesofhisemployment;andanyreasonabledoubtastowhetheraninjuryaroseoutoftheemploymentornotistoberesolvedinfavoroftheemployee.Whitev.Werthan 501.  Industries,824S.W.2d158,159(Tenn.1992). 8P30  ` Thestatuteistobeconstrued inamannerdesignedtoprotectworkersand theirfamiliesfromtheeconomicdevastationthat,inmanyinstances,canfollowonthejobinjuries,(and)mustbeconstruedsoastoensurethatinjuredemployeesarejustlyandappropriatelyreimbursedfordebilitatingoninjuriessufferedinthecourseofservicetotheemployer.Bettsv.TomWadeGin,810S.W.2d140(Tenn.1991). 0   ` InImperialShirtCompanyv.Jenkins,399S.W.2d757(Tenn.1966),the P  SupremeCourtpointedoutthat8 ` [T]heWorkmensCompensationActcontemplatesliberality,notonlyintheadmissionofevidencebutalsointheinferencestobedrawntherefrom,andinborderlinecasesthecourtwillendeavortocarryoutthebenevolentobjectoftheWorkmensCompensationActandresolvedoubtsinfavoroftheclaimant. ` 8"` 8" ImperialShirt,supra.,supra.at_______. @  `  `  Inthiscase,asinallworkerscompensationcases,theclaimant'sown ` assessmentofhisphysicalconditionandresultingdisabilitiesiscompetenttestimonyandcannotbedisregarded.TomStillTransferCo.v.Way,482S.W.2d h  775,777(Tenn.1972).# #ԀAndindoingso,thecredibilityoftheplaintiffwhotestified " tothisislefttothetrialjudge.SeeHumphreyv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734 $0  S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987). ` Wecannotfindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgment,whichisaffirmedatthecostsoftheappellant.Thecaseisremandedforallappropriatepurposes.Ӏ  `     h     _______________________________ /*(  `     h     WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge### 0+) CONCUR: _______________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice#%# 501.  _______________________________JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge#%#Ԝ