WPC }:Jc v!8`# kV(G-{FI: Dv#Vڑ#lCA*KI|{d=L1h}"uxpأ,FV 0c& r~C7u`[=sMx]4U0Lh K8!2o%l$ t4!;wKB{WmJH9Tk.W k@ yiYUNI % 0(4w@(U:+ 0Cen AQ UB >  A 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($~%\3|x DӀVDӀ !"   X XXX r3X X    Ad FILED X X r3  December3,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular(2C$ !  ݫ\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP !"#%C<< C\  `*Times New RomanTT !"  X XXXr3XX    Ad FILEDX Xr3  December3,1998CecilW.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 !  mXXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tr (<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  t (>.*jxq` `@EF` 8ttxP~ t@  )ATNASHVILLEALVINRALPHMANN h     } p FRANKLINCHANCERY  `  `     h     } p No.Below15,084  p  ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     } 0  vs. `     h     } @   `     h     } `     h     } p Hon.JeffreyF.Stewart `  CKRINDUSTRIES,INC.    } p Chancellor p   `     h     } ` Defendants/Appellant    } p No.01S019805CH00085   `     h     } `     h     } p    `     h     } p AFFIRMED   `     h JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  Costswillbepaidequallybyplaintiff/appeelleedefendants/appelleesanddefendant/appellant,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDonDecember3,1998."US ,  `     h      p PERCURIAM  H947 TR[A'[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<_nmy _n  r(<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  rINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEt(>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP" tSPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(September16,1998Session)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?ALVINRALPHMANN h     ) p FRANKLINCHANCERY    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellee,     p ) p Hon.JeffreyF.Stewart,    `     h     ) p Chancellor.   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019805CH00085 J CKRINDUSTRIES,INC.,    ) `  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellant    ) < ForAppellant:   h      p   ForAppellee:  A.GregoryRamos h      p     FloydDonDavis & North,Pursell&Ramos h      p   PatrickJ.McHale  < Nashville,Tennessee h      p   Winchester,Tennessee "R   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION p'"  MembersofPanel: ,.(% FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  <( ` hp x (#X<  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?:L62   AFFIRMED   h      p      x  Loser,  Judge {  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION'.    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theemployerhasappealedinsistingtheawardofpermanentpartialdisabilitybasedonthirtythreepercenttobotharmsisexcessive.Theemployeeorclaimant,Mann,insiststheawardisinadequate.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  { ` Ourreviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Theextentofaninjuredworker'sdisabilityisanissueoffact.Jaskev.MurrayOhio b Mfg.Co.,750S.W.2d150(Tenn.1988).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenand (x heardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.Collinsv.HowmetCorp.,970S.W.2d941(Tenn. j 1998). ` Theclaimantisfiftyeightyearsoldwithahighschooleducation,somejuniorcollegecoursesandexperienceasapoliceofficer,factoryassemblerandsupervisorand,fortheemployer,asamaintenancegroupleader,molder,batchbonderandclipinsertoperator.Hehashadoneworkrelatedandtwononworkrelatedhandinjuries.OnJanuary10,1996,hereported"swellingandhurting"inbothwrists,moresevereontherightside,fromloadingandunloadingofamachineoveraperiodoftime. ` OnJanuary25,1996,hesawDr.RichardA.Bagby,Jr.,aboardcertifiedorthopedicsurgeon,whodiagnoseddeQuervain'sstenosingtenosynovitisandwristtendinitis.ThedoctortreatedtheinjurysurgicallyandreturnedtheclaimanttolightdutyonAugust23,1996.Onemonthlatertestsconfirmedmildleftcarpaltunnelsyndrome.Dr.Bagbyassessedthreepercentpermanentmedicalimpairmenttoeach"upperextremity,"fromappropriateguidelines. ` Attherequestoftheemployer'sinsurer,theclaimantsawDr.MichaelA.Milek,anotherboardcertifiedorthopedicsurgeon,foranopinionastowhetherthesurgeryperformedbyDr.Bagbywasnecessary.Dr.Milekdiagnosedinflammationofthetendonsinbothhands,causeundetermined,butprobablyaggravatedbytheclaimant'swork.Heassessedtheclaimant'spermanentimpairmentateightpercenttobothupperextremities,withoutcorrectivesurgery. ` TheemployercontendstheawardisexcessivebecauseDr.Bagby's 8&43 estimateofimpairmentaftersurgerywasonlythreepercentandDr.Milek'sopinionofeightpercentassumednosurgery.Theemployeecontendstheawardshouldbebasedonelementsotherthanmedicalimpairment.Thechancellorbasedhisawardofthirtyfivepercenttobotharmsontheclaimant'sowntestimonyastohisage,education,workingexperienceandlackofvocationalskillsinadditiontothemedicalimpairmentrating...Inmakingdeterminationsoftheextentofaninjuredworker'spermanentdisability,thecourtsaretoconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,theemployee'sage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunitiesforthedisabled,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableintheclaimant'sdisabledcondition.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506241(a).Uponconsiderationofthosefactors,wecannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainstthechancellor'saward...Fortheabovereasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheparties,onehalfeach.  {  2( ` hp x (#2  _______________________________  ........JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  5+ ` hp x (#5CONCUR:_________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice_________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge# x (##Ӝ