WPC @[>, TNLtKAzSzk`Po)[4\a"3%拪V 9x?BtEbSYU'=ixՎѕ^`h̃/gVYˠA{7.H'*1'7A[K,:l>O^UL̠Z%r> P.v<nZWf;h ^Qs>hvrz^d TC$KQYzuyLco8Su9TXmMus)܈CA6$aeИoWE$(dH4t%n"{JDr c2./t=./9 RBXqyӟ52-T:do.D$' Lw{2BHt Emö.q)kهxJ;uۉ6U*5ц@NjV)N:dUNx % 0(#! n  w) 4- A A A U:P 5 U: o h h Nj ^ l mx            B AQU 0D 0D_ 0D D3 A D-} 0K(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=''.3|x,cAZ"Arial Regular + \"  _XXXX!XX   Ad FILEDXX!  October11,1999Cecil_Crowson_,Jr.AppellateCourtClerkdAx ,cAZ"Arial Regular e \"USUS.,  _ X#XXX oX X#   Ad FILED X#X o  October11,1999  Cecil_Crowson_,Jr. xx AppellateCourtClerkdA .K'L U12345678910H d[\]^`C<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5YYYY'dxd_]cb I&mage <=8C HKKKK)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  !  _% - TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TX 5XX_@  INTHESUPREMEOFTENNESSEE X @'ATNASHVILLE  % # JOHNDARRENWELKER%#T@::/i} p % $ DAVIDSONCHANCERY%$ J @::/i} p No.Below% % 96WC514%% \  ` Plaintiff/Appellee@::/i}  n xZ `B2.jzmH`  `@E ` 8ttxP H x@::/i} p Hon.% & RobertE.Corlew%&1   vs.@ii/iH::/i}   @::/i}@::/i} p No.% ' 01S019810CH00192%'   % ( BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE%(2@::/i}    @::/i} ` Defendant/Appell% ) ant%)@::/i} p % * AFFIRMED%* D @hh(iJUDGMENTORDER z"  ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderof X referraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` Costswillbepaidby% + defendant/appellant%+# ,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ` ITISSOORDEREDon% , October11,1999%, . `     h      p PERCURIAM `1/,  ` #XE<X 5#  3,1.  `    INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE 0  ` SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE   `     h (MAY27,1999SESSION)  JOHNDARREN_WELKER_, h     ) h    `     h     ) T  0 ` 0 ` %` % ` Plaintiff/Appellee, h     ) p   DAVIDSONCHANCERY@  % %  `     h     ) ,  VS.. `     h     ) p   Hon.RobertE._Corlew_,III  _vZ`@0,j:`  `@Ek` 8ttxP  v_ `     h     ) p   Chancellor.  BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE,    ) p   NO.01S019810CH00192   `     h     )   ` Defendant/Appellant, h     ) p  ` ForAppellants   h      p   ForAppellee 4 Kitty_Boyte_    h      p SusanK.Bradley x   d  Nashville,TN    h     HowardW.Wilson P  `     h      p Nashville,TN <   MEMORANDUMOPINION  1  MembersofPanel: !X" Justice_Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr. #0!$ HenryD.Bell,SpecialJudge t$"% Hamilton_Gayden_,Jr.,SpecialJudge `%#& |AFFIRMED    h      p      x  _Gayden_,Judge \1/3    @  ;(9> ЇMEMORANDUMOPINION     ` ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  8  AppealsPanelinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingof h   findingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theappellant,Bridgestone/Firestone,allegesthatthetrial @  courterredinconsideringlaytestimonywhendeterminingthecausalrelationshipbetweenthe  disabilityandtheemploymentactivity.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthatthetrial  courtshouldbeaffirmed. p  ` Reviewofthefindingoffactsbythetrialcourtshallbedenovoupontherecordofthetrial H court,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceof x  theevidenceisotherwise. P  ` John_Welker_,theappellee,isthirtyoneyearsold,withahighschooleducation,Theappellee ( hasworkedwithBridgestone/FirestonesinceJune1990,asafirstfloortrucker,abeltloader,a  Banburyoperatorandatirebuilder.Theappelleealsoworkedforhisfatherinhousingconstruction,   layingvinyl,painting,plumbingandinsulation. !X"  ` Asabeltloadertheappelleeworkedintwelvehourshiftsforthreedaysinthefirstweekand #0!$ fourdaysinthenextweek.Beltloadinginvolvedremoving75poundbalesofrubberfromskids `%#& everytwoandhalfminutescontinuouslyfortwelvehours.Inonenighttheappelleewouldlift 8'$( between20,000poundsto50,000pounds. )&*  ` OnJanuary22,1995theappelleehurthisbackwhilepullingaseventyfivepoundbailof *(, rubberfromafrozenskid.HereportedlowbackpaintothehealthunitbyphoneonJanuary31,1995. ,h*. Dr._Lanford_Ԁfirsttreated_Welker_ԀonFebruary15,1995,andfoundthroughMRIfilmstakenon .@,0 February2,thattheappelleehadabulgingdiscinthelumbarregionandcongenitallumbarvertebra, p0.2 butnodiscrupture.Theappelleeunderwentphysicaltherapyandwasplacedonlightdutyatwork H2/4 withathirtypoundrestriction.Dr._Lanford_ԀreleasedtheappelleeonMay10,1995notingthatthe  416 appelleehadexperiencednopainforfourweeks.Theappelleecontinuedtoworkasabeltloaderuntil 538 January1996. 7x5:  ` OnJanuary31,1996theappelleecalledthehealthunitandreportedthathestillhad 9P7< occasionalbackpainandwishedtohaveafollowupvisitwithDr._Lanford_.TheappelleevisitedDr. ;(9> _Lanford_ԀonFebruary29,1996.Hereportedexperiencing_radicular_Ԁpainandpositivestraightleg X raising,butdidnotmentionanyspecificeventthatwouldhavecausedthispain.Afterseveral 0 diagnostictestsDr._Lanford_Ԁdiagnosedaruptureddisc.Subsequentlytheappelleeleftthebeltloader  jobandDr._Lanford_Ԁperformedalumbar_laminectomy_.Bridgestonepaidtheappelleesmedicalbills  uptothetimeofthesurgery.__  `  ` Priortothesurgery,theappellantdeniedliabilityontheclaimafterhiringaprivate  8  investigatorwhocaptured,onvideotape,theappelleeliftinganinsulatingunitweighing h   approximatelytwohundredfiftypoundsonDecember12,1995Theappellantdidpaytheappellee @  vacationandabsenteepayuntilhereturnedtoworkedonAugust10,1996.Employeesofthe  appellantcanonlyreceiveonebenefit,eitherworkerscompensationoraccidentandsickness.   ` Thetrialcourtfoundthattheinjuryaroseoutofandinthecourseoftheappellees p employmentatBridgestone/Firestonemakingitacompensableinjury.Thetrialcourtawarded H temporarytotaldisabilitybenefitsfromApril7,1996untilAugust8,1996.Thetrialcourtalsofound x  thattheplaintiffretainedafifteenpercentpermanentpartialimpairmenttothebodyasawholebased P onthefactthatMr._Welker_Ԁhadreturnedtohispreinjuryemploymentmakingthesameorgreater ( wages.   ` Aftercarefulreviewoftherecordthispaneldoesnotfindthatthetrialcourterredin   consideringlaytestimonyindeterminingcausationoftheinjuryinrelationtoappelleesemployment. !X" Thelaytestimonyclearlybuttressestheconclusionthattheinjurysustainedwasworkrelated.This #0!$ panelhasfoundmanycasesinwhichlaytestimonywasconsideredwhendeterminingcausation.For `%#& thereasonsstatedabovethetrialcourtsdecisionisaffirmedwithcostonappealtaxedtothe 8'$( appellant. )&*  `     h      p    %  *(,  `     h      p Hamilton_Gayden_,Jr.,SpecialJudge ,h*. CONCUR: .@,0 ̀ ^1/3 Justice_Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr. L2/4 ̀ 527 HenryD.Bell,Special._Judge_ 638 ____