WPC  ]jnѽژj8Y;vG8L>H%˕ s/6-Ik .BZώM3r}5I8K1:YmMQ*\|Dр_?L#0Լ·ǗVk!`"'&Q7} 3[f׼R6du rm`I9h`EzE+T2wn3zE(cߖ \8^iAY=Z &'_b,໮ATtgI%/2 BS*-kpL+K)S3gʝMpLRhkb[ۦB'؅`20eUɃbS_\r+_,\\"ӂ{!&]D̏q<ta>P{T^N7vzl^;]T>@41NHA+gYF QF TS%vC?Whڔ[3GUaUNN % 0(#! nY w 4  0<& 0<b 0< 0 0 0 0 0t 0S 0/ 0 0 0 0 0^ 00 0 0 0 0Z 0N^  m      $ , 4 < D  L VM\(`N5U>U*U:'oaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa B AQ> 0D 0DH 0D D3(9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($HP LaserJet 8000 DN PS0C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\JO.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\jo.wpt{Z='1bk1@F3|x<:Default Para<:Footnote Ref<:Footnote Tex2G+G 0_level1  X /%   l t$|,/23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  2D+G 0_level2   ,"l l l t$|,,23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  2A+G 0_level3   ) t$|,)23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  2>+G 0_level4  ` &t$|,&23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  2;+G 0_level5   #ttt$|,#23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  28+G 0_level6    $|, 23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  25+G 0_level7  h $$$|,23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  22+G 0_level8   |||,23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  2/+G 0_level9    ,23  ..  /%  l t$|,/  2GG 0_levnl1  X /%   l t$|,/23   /%  l t$|,/  2DG 0_levnl2   ,"l l l t$|,,23   /%  l t$|,/  2AG 0_levnl3   ) t$|,)23   /%  l t$|,/  2>G 0_levnl4  ` &t$|,&23   /%  l t$|,/  2;G 0_levnl5   #ttt$|,#23   /%  l t$|,/  28G 0_levnl6    $|, 23   /%  l t$|,/  25G 0_levnl7  h $$$|,23   /%  l t$|,/  22G 0_levnl8   |||,23   /%  l t$|,/  2/G 0_levnl9    ,23   /%  l t$|,/  K'L U12345678910H + \"  _4XXXX48X4X   Ad FILED4XX48  October11,1999Cecil_Crowson_,Jr.AppellateCourtClerkdAx \  `&Times New Roman%2A`Arial,cAZ"Arial Regular e \"USUS.,  _4XXXX4b X4X   Ad FILED4XX 4b  October11,1999  Cecil_Crowson_,Jr. xx AppellateCourtClerkdA  d[\]^`C<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  YYYY'dxd !  _% - TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T,oXX_vZ1`@0,j:`  `@E` 8ttxP  v__@  INTHESUPREMEOFTENNESSEE  @'ATNASHVILLE % # ALLENDALEJARVIS%#@-} p % $ RUTHERFORDCHANCERY%$  J @-} p No.Below% % 97WC604%%  \  ` Plaintiff/Appellee@-}  n @-} p Hon.% & JamesL.Weatherford%&4 0  vs.@-H-} B  @-}@-} p No.% ' 01S019810CH00186%' f  % ( NISSANMOTORMANUFACTURING%(9@-} x  CORPORATION,U.S.A.andROYAL}INSURANCECOMPANYOF  }  AMERICA@-}   ` Defendant/Appell% ) ant%)H@-} p % * AFFIRMED%*  @&JUDGMENTORDER F  ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingthe ,| orderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` Costswillbepaidby% + defendant/appellant%+ ,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ` ITISSOORDEREDon% , October11,1999%,+ . `     h      p PERCURIAM 5,1.  ` #XUmX,o#  8P30      TR[A'[A' Legal A' Legal A' LegalT  *$|,X*3XXXX INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE    Q SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  QFF'ATNASHVILLE `   ?%  l t$|,$X?3&%X3XMAY27,1999SESSION 8    _vZ5`@0,j:`  `@E` 8ttxP  v_ALLENDALEJARVIS, h     ) p 01S019810CH00186 h   ) p RUTHERFORDCOUNTY   )    ` 0t$|,X0Plaintiff/Appellee, h     ) p Hon.JamesL._Weatherford_, @  X  ` 0ttt$|,X0) p Judge H  X  <%  l t$|,tttX<)   vs. `     h     ) p No.97WC604 h  `     h     )  p NISSANMOTORMANUFACTURING  ) ( CORPORATION,U.S.A.,and    )    ROYALINSURANCECOMPANYOF  ) H"" AMERICA,    h     ) $P$  ) %!&  Defendant/Appellant.  ) p'"(    FORTHEAPPELLANT: h      p FORTHEAPPELLEE: P.)0 ROGER_WALDRON_,Esquire     p LARRYG.TRAIL,Esquire x3.6 202WestMainStreet h      p 107NorthMaple 0508 Murfreesboro,TN37130 h      p Murfreesboro,TN37130 682:  ` h     <`7@ Ї   h_#3XX%3&# _  *$|,X* MEMORANDUMOPINION 0    ?%  l t$|,$X?*$|,X*Q%MEMBERSOFPANEL: h ?%  l t$|,$X?*$|,X*Q_ADOLPHO_ԀA.BIRCH,JR.,JUSTICE h Q  HENRYDENMARKBELL.,RETIREDJUDGE @ Q HAMILTONV._GAYDEN_,JR.,SPECIALJUDGE !    ?%  l t$|,$X?     __ ` 3&%X3X AFFIRMED 0/*/ HENRYDENMARKBELL 08,1 SpecialJudge 1-2 _#3XX%3&# _ ` ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecial 2-3 _WorkersCompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewith l4/5 Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffact 8617 andconclusionsoflaw. 8T39  XAtthetimeoftrialplaintiff/appelleewas32yearsold,singleandhada 9 5; highschooleducation.PriortohisemploymentatNissanhehadworkedat ;6= variouslaborintensivejobssuchasconstruction,fabrication,welding,and  lumberyardandfactorywork.Onhisowntimehemaintainsafarmanddoes | repairandmaintenanceworkonhisvehiclesandfarmequipment.Hehasbeen H workingatNissanasalinetechniciansince1991.  d In1993plaintiff/appelleegraduallydevelopedaninjuryinvolvingpainand  0 lockingoftheleftmiddlefingerandreportedtheconditiontohissupervisorat    NissaninOctober.HewasseenbyNissansmedicaldepartmentandthen x  referredtoDr.Pratt.Dr.Prattperformedthreeoutpatientsurgerieson D  plaintiff/appelleebetweenDecember1993andMay1995.Thefirstsurgerywas ` a triggerfingerreleasewhichisaprocedureinwhichtheincisionismadenear , themiddleofthepalm,extendingtowardtheinjuredfingerforaboutaninch.  Thesecondprocedurewastoclearupaninfectionintheincisionwound.Afinal t procedurewasdonebyDr.PratttoremovewhatDr.Prattperceivedtobean @ infectedforeignbody,orcystinthepalm.Stillexperiencingsomepain,  \ plaintiff/appelleewassenttoDr.JamesLanterwhoreferredhimtoDr.Michael ( Milek.  Dr.Milek,whosedepositionistheonlymedicalevidenceinthiscase,first p!  sawplaintiff/appelleeinFebruary1996anddiagnosedhimwithlossofA1and <#" A2pulleys,and bowstringingofthetendonoftheleftmiddlefinger. %X $  Bowstringingmeansthatthetendonisnotcontainedinitsproperpositionin &$"& relationtotheboneinthefinger.Dr.Milekalsonotedthatplaintiff/appelleehad (#( amassorbumpinhispalmwhichwasthemisplacedtendonpushingunderthe l*%* skin. 8,',   2 .T).   Dr.Milektestifiedthat, fromamedicalstandpoint,theinjurywaslimited / +0 totheleftmiddlefinger.Dr.Milekassignedtoplaintiff/appelleesleftmiddle 1,2 fingerapermanentpartialimpairmentratingof40%.Dr.Mileksuggestedan h3.4 outpatientsurgicalproceduretoreconstructthepulleys,which,ifsuccessful, 4506 wouldimprovethecondition.Plaintiff/appelleehaselectednottoundergosuch 7P28 surgeryintheforeseeablefuturebecauseofeconomicconsiderationsand 84: becauseDr.Milekcannotguaranteesuccess. :5< Thetrialcourtawardedplaintiff/appelleelumpsumbenefitsbasedupon  40%permanentpartialdisabilitytothelefthand.Defendant/appellantcontends | thatthetrialcourtsawardisexcessiveandthatthecompensationinthiscaseis H limitedbyTenn.CodeAnn.506207(3)(A)(ii)(c)whichprovidesfor  d compensationforthelossofasecondfinger.  0  X X9%   l t$|,X9Ourreviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourtaccompaniedby     X<%  l t$|,   X<apresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsbelowunlessthepreponderanceof |  theevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Thisstandardof H  reviewrequiresthatweweighthefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrial d courtindepth.Humphreysv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(1987). 0  XTheextentofvocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffacttobedetermined  fromalltheevidenceincludinglayandexperttestimony.Worthingtonv.Modine x Mfg.Co.,798S.W.2d232,234(1990). D Amedicalexpertsratingofanatomicalimpairmentisoneoftherelevant ` factors,butthevocationaldisabilityisnotrestrictedtothepreciseestimateof , anatomicalimpairmentmadebyamedicalwitness.Corcoranv.FosterAuto  GMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,458(1988). t!  Whenthemedicaltestimonyispresentedbydeposition,asinthiscase, @#" thiscourtisabletomakeitsownindependentassessmentofthemedicalproof  %\ $ todeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Landersv. &("& FiremansFundInsuranceCompany,775S.W.2d355,356(1989);Hensonv. (#(   3 p*%*  X  CityofLawrenceburg,851S.W.2d809,812(1993). <,',  XӀThecaseofJeffreyManufacturingCompanyv.Underwood,246S.W.2d .X). 189(1968)reflectstheruleoflawapplicabletothiscaseandtherationaleforit. /$+0 Compensationtobepaidforanyinjurytoascheduledmemberincludes 1,2 compensationfortheexpectedeffectoftheinjuryonotherscheduledmembers. l3.4 Whereaninjurytoascheduledmemberproducesanunusualandextraordinary 8506 conditionaffectingsomeothermembertothebodythencompensationisnot 7T28 necessarilylimitedtoimpairmentoftheinjuredmember.Inacasesuchasthis 8 4: wemustexaminetheevidenceandseeifitpreponderatesagainsttheimplied :5< findingofthetrialjudgethattheinjurytoplaintiff/appelleeshandwasan  unexpectedandextraordinaryresultoftheinjurytohisfinger.Plaintiffs | uncontradictedtestimonyisthatthestrengthofhisgripinthelefthandhasbeen H reducedtoonehalfofthestrengthofhisgripbeforetheinjury.Hefurther  d testifiedthatgrippingoccasionallycauseshimtohavepainshootingintohis  0 handanduphisarm.ThistestimonyisnotinconsistentwiththetestimonyofDr.    Milek. x   X ` Uponaconsiderationoftheaboveprinciplesandauthoritieswecannot D  saytheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingsofthetrialjudgeoneither ` issue.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmedandthecauseremandedtothe , CircuitCourtofRutherfordCountyforenforcementofthejudgmentandsuch  furtherproceedings,ifanyasmaybenecessary.Costsonappealaretaxedto t thedefendant/appellant. @  XӀ    h      p      x   \  `     h      p _________________________ B   -ttt$|,X-HENRYDENMARKBELL (  X  <%  l t$|,tttX<RETIREDJUDGE   CONCUR:  ____________________________ V"! ADOLPHOA.BIRCH,JR. <#" JUSTICE "$r# ____________________________ &$"& HAMILTONV.GAYDEN,JR. ' #' SPECIALJUDGE  (#(   4  )$)       #XXX3X #2XXXX #XXX2Xa=#3XXXX  3.4    #XXX3X=#