WPC 5q=~q:azX Zg8y=k^]L3=|y|%X>yf5AN;GTfELO&,iC Ja=I85eb#˗v 6I !_F.p85K_-H,@K7'{M2E1wA+̦0gqh%)Pj+GR҆E;HdpR ? P2Jr{ fUq{:H.KT&ݻ?@UNI % 0(4w@ 0C(nknUBn AQ   U: K U:N N N N N N N N N N N N N N  0DN 0D 0D D/ BI Bf D3HP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0vLh(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($~%3|x DDPEVӀӀ(2C$ !  ݫ\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTT !"#%C<< C   C)  8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    2  A    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? !"  XXXXvXX   Ad FILEDXXv  December8,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular !"  XXXXvXX   Ad FILEDXXv  December8,1998CecilW.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  @  )ATNASHVILLEMILLERHIGH   h     } p SUMNERCHANCERY  `  `     h     } p No.Below96C348  p  ` Plaintiff/Appellant h     } 0   `     h     } p Hon.ThomasE.Gray @  vs. `     h     } p Chancellor P   `     h     } `     h     } p No.01S019804CH00068 p  GFOFFICEFURNITURE,LTD.  }    `     h     } ` Defendant/Appellee    } p AFFIRMED x   @/ p      x   (#    `      JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  Costswillbepaidbyplaintiffdefendant/appellant,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDonDecember83,1998."*US , SU , * `     h      p PERCURIAM  8836 TR[A'[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<_\ _  t (>.*jxu` `@E` 8ttxP tINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  r (<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  rSPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(September16,1998Session)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?MILLERHIGH   h     ) p SUMNERCHANCERY    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellant,    ) p Hon.ThomasE.Gray,    `     h     ) p Chancellor.   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019804CH00068 J GFOFFICEFURNITURE,LTD.,  ) `  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellee.    ) < ForAppellant:   h      p   ForAppellee:  JosephY.Longmire,Jr. h      p   ArthurE.McClellan & Hendersonville,Tennessee     p   Gallatin,Tennessee  <   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION Z&! MembersofPanel: +'$ FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  <( ` hp x (#X<  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  AFFIRMED   h      p      x Loser,Judge {:L62   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION'C  {    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,theemployee,High,insiststheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfindingthattheinjurytohim,wasnotcausallyrelatedtohisemployment.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. ` Ourreviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.Humphreyv.DavidWitherspoon, g Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987). X!  ` Theclaimanthasworkedforthisemployersince1985ontheassemblyline.InJuneof1996,whilebuildingsteelpanelsonthepanelline,hecomplainedtohissupervisorofleftwristsorenesswhichheattributedtoamalfunctioningairgunhewasusingtoplacescrewsinmetalpanels.InAugustofthesameyear,theclaimantshowedhissupervisoralumponhisleftwristandwasreferredtoDr.FelixTormes,whosurgicallyexcisedaganglioncystonNovember10,1996. ` Followingsurgery,theclaimantreturnedtolightworkbut,becauseofcontinuingpainandswelling,wasunabletokeepupwithhisassignedduties.Nevertheless,Dr.Tormesreleasedhimtofullduty.Dr.Tormestestifiedtheclaimantgavenohistoryoftraumaandthathefoundnothingthatcausallyrelatedtheganglioncysttotheclaimant'swork.Thedoctorassessednopermanentimpairment. 9k4C  ` ThroughVocationalRehabilitationServices,theclaimantsawDr.JohnLamb,whodiagnosedtendinitis.Dr.Lambtestifiedthathecouldnotsaywithanydegreeofcertaintythattheinjurywascausallyrelatedtotheclaimant'sworkfortheemployer,butspeculatedtherecouldbesuchacausalrelationship. ` Inordertoestablishthataninjurywasonearisingoutoftheemployment,thecauseofthedeathorinjurymustbeproved.Hillv.RoyalIns.Co.,937 H  S.W.2d873(Tenn.1996).Inallbutthemostobviouscases,causationmayonlybeestablishedthroughexpertmedicaltestimony.AetnaCasualtyand   SuretyCo.v.Long,569S.W.2d444(Tenn.1978).Causationisnotobvious +{ inthiscaseandtheonlymedicalproofofcausationistoospeculativeinthefaceofpersuasivecountervailingmedicalproofandapaucityofcrediblelayproof.Thus,theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingofthechancellor. ` Fortheabovereasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiffappellant.   <( ` hp x (#X<_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?CONCUR:_________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice_________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge 8&4B - x (#X-#_ C ##\_$ #