WPCJ p=Oq)i kUNI % 0(LUFw@W4U: 0Cn; AQ>  UB    U:  0D 0D& 0Djj D/ B B D3HP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0^H(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($C:\OFFICE\WPWIN\TEMPLATE\STANDARD.WPT<4 9Z .Courier New Regular !D"P#E$P%U&D'D(U)Ӏ3sx%(Z"3|x3 !"   XGXXX 3CX XG   Ad FILED XGX 3C  November25,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular(2C$ !  ݫ\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP !"#%C<< C\  `*Times New RomanTT !"  XGXXX3CXXG   Ad FILEDXGX3C  November25,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh    C)  8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    2  A    ?+ ` hp x (#` X?,cAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd !  X%LXXX  TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tr (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  rINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  :  ATNASHVILLE  DONALDMAJOR,    h   )  WayneCountyChancery  \     `     h   )  No.9557  2    Plaintiff/Appellee h   )      `     h   )  Hon.JamesL.Weatherford,   v.   `     h   )  Judge d     `     h   )LINCOLNBRASSWORKS, h   )  S.Ct.No.01S019802CH00021 `     `     h   )  Defendant/Appellant h   )  AFFIRMED   @#JUDGMENTORDER d b   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;   ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and   ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.   ` Costwillbepaidbydefendant/appellantandsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.   `     h     PERCURIAM#XXXX%L#  6R1; TR[A'[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT8  & 65   <( ` hp x (#X<XX  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  3t(>.*jx` `@E,` 8ttxPd t3SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL3)r(<,(j 8` `@E@ ` 8ttxPx  r)3ATNASHVILLE(July20,1998Session)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?DONALDP.MAJOR, h     ) p WAYNECHANCERY    `     h     ) `  PlaintiffAppellee,  ) p Hon.JamesL.Weatherford,    `     h     ) p Judge   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019802CH00021 J LINCOLNBRASSWORKS,    ) `  `     h     ) `  DefendantAppellant.  ) < ForAppellant:   h      p   ForAppellee:  MarkC.Travis   h      p   LarryR.Dorning & Wimberly,Lawson&Seale     p   Hohenwald,Tennessee  < Cookeville,Tennessee  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION p'"  MembersofPanel: ,.(% BenH.Cantrell,SpecialJusticeWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge'?+ ` hp x (#` X?'<( ` hp x (#` X<?+ ` hp x (#` X?    AFFIRMED @  @h  @  @  @p  @  @   @x  @ C  Loser,Judge'65   8 40  {  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theemployer,LincolnBrassWorks,insiststheevidenceattrialpreponderatedagainstthechancellor'sfindingthattheinjurywascausallyrelatedtotheemployment.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. { `  ` InMayof1994,theemployeeorclaimant,Major,feltapopinhisbackwhileworkingandwasreferredbytheemployertoDr.DouglasWilburn,whodiagnosedrecurrentlumbardiscsyndrome.Whenconservativecaredidnotrelievethepain,thedoctorsurgicallyremovedtheinjureddisc. `  ` Afteratrialonthemerits,thechancellorfoundtheinjurytobecompensableandawardedbenefits,asprovidedbylaw.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectness,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.Humphreyv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d 2W-* 315(Tenn.1987). `  ` Noteveryinjurybyaccidentwhichoccursinthecourseofemployment 830 iscompensable;itisonlycompensableifitalsoarisesoutofemployment,butanyreasonabledoubtastowhethersuchaninjuryarisesoutoftheemploymentshouldberesolvedinfavoroftheemployee.Reeserv.YellowFreightSystem,  X Inc.,938S.W.2d690(Tenn.1997);Tappv.Tapp,192Tenn.1,236S.W.2d 4  977(1951).Generally,aninjuryarisesoutofandinthecourseofemploymentifithasarationalcausalconnectiontotheworkandoccurswhiletheemployeeisengagedinthedutiesofhisemployment.Hallv.AuburntownIndustries,   Inc.,684S.W.2d614(Tenn.1985). 4  `  ` Inallbutthemostobviouscases,causationmayonlybeestablishedthroughexpertmedicaltestimony.Mastersv.IndustrialGarmentsMfg.Co., h 595S.W.2d811(Tenn.1980).However,absolutecertaintyonthepartofamedicalexpertisnotnecessarytosupportaworkers'compensationaward,forexpertopinionmustalwaysbemoreorlessuncertainandspeculative;Stratton  < WarrenHardwarev.Parker,557S.W.2d494(Tenn.1977);and,where #h equivocalmedicalevidencecombinedwithotherevidencesupportsafindingofcausation,suchaninferencemayneverthelessbedrawnunderthecaselaw.Tindallv.WaringParkAss'n,725S.W.2d935(Tenn.1987). )$"  `  ` Inaworkers'compensationcase,asignedmedicalreport,onaformestablishedbythecommissioneroflabor,maybeintroducedinevidence,subjecttocompliancewithstatutoryprocedures.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506235(c)(1)However,eitherpartymayobtainanorderrequiringadoctortotestifyinpersonorbydeposition.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506235(a)and(b). 8 40  `  ` Themedicalproofinthiscaseconsistedofthedepositionoftheoperatingsurgeon,Dr.Wilburn,andthemedicalreportanddepositionofDoctorRobertBarnett.Dr.Wilburnwasnotdirectlyaskedwhethertherewastherequisitecausalconnection,buthistestimonydidincludethefollowing: `  `  Q.Astheoperatingsurgeonwhenyoudoadiscexcision,are (# you   abletoascertainwhetherornotthatdiscexcisionisaresultof x traumaor 4 degeneration? `  `  A.No,they'reboththesameasfarasbeingabletodistinguish ` whetheritwasatraumaticepisodeorjustaresultofadegenerative (#   process.Wereallycannottellthat.Atthetimeofsurgery,you basically  relyonyourpatient'shistory. `  ` Mr.Major'shistorywasthatofatraumaticeventatwork,superimposeduponapreexistinginjury.Hetestifiedandtoldhissurgeonthat,beforetheinjury,hewasabletoworkandwasessentiallyfreeofsymptoms.Moreover,Dr.Barnettstatedunequivocally,inhisreport,thattheinjurywasonearisingoutoftheclaimant'semployment;andhewasnotdiscreditedoncrossexamination,whenhewasdeposed. `  ` Fortheabovereasons,theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourt.Thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendantappellant. rA 8 40 !  <( ` hp x (#X<!" `     h     "#" p "#_______________________________ rA$ `     h     $JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge%%  ?+ ` hp x (#X?((CONCUR:_________________________________& ` &BenH.Cantrell,SpecialJustice_________________________________' ` 'WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge- x (#X-#^ ##XX? #