WPCX B8'+HpJmӠ"9P l 'k+ӓ}wqG#{(ɟ!;DPן:>R۴*5L;܀r<5u\f]$+\up{l{#_;VĹ_av}Q6u4sٿb辮0  g=Q<x5W 4fm]4t%AO86ĕ=/]7Gh;{zpvcr:@ r X.᫃'^FuK.ש /vC~X\p4ϔTׄ7jtb5pƖHQœGvQ`bBWoW2j}f9bAa߶?gkŜAt]~{l䄪>> `n/ÙdGc-=:^Z(z1GV.UB %U.rkl 0d nt 0rw  w@ 4) @= AQ}             * U:*dU:dU: 0D 0D 0D&j D/j B B D3U:@\  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .    a )XπXXdXXXπ   8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    1  A      ?+ ` hp x (#` X?(e2$  !XoXX$XXXo   3|x)\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP(J$XXX:XXX  PEӀӀ Ӏyk&(<c:\office\wpwin\template\jo.wpt !"#%C<< Ci1i2i3i4i5i6i7i8i9i10i11 !"  z z   Ad FILEDXB1 X   April6,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,kAZ"Arial Regular !"  d   Ad FILEDXXd  April7,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,kAZ"Arial Regular !"  {8{8   Ad FILEDXD1X  April6,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,kAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$  !  (3$  !  ($$   1   !"  ))d)   Ad FILED)XX)d  April7,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd,kAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5  !XπXXdXXXπ   TR[A'3'A' Legal3'T8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<XXd  r(<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  rINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  t(>.*jx!` `@E` 8ttxP@ ! tSPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(January19,1999Session)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?SHARONABBOTT, h     ) p MONTGOMERYCIRCUIT    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellee,    ) p Hon.JamesE.Walton,    `     h     ) p Judge.   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019805CV00087 J QUEBECORPRINTING,    ) `  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellant.    ) < ForAppellant:   h      p   ForAppellee:  JohnR.Lewis   h      p   StacyA.Turner & Nashville,Tennessee h      p   SherryPhillips  <  `     h      p   Clarksville,Tennessee  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION Z&! MembersofPanel: +'$ AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,AssociateJusticeJamesL.Weatherford,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.Theemployer,Quebecor,insiststhetrialjudgeerredinfindingthattheplaintiffsufferedapermanentcompensableinjuryandthattheclaimisbarredbythelastinjuriousinjuryrule.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. { `  ` Theemployeeorclaimant,Abbott,initiatedthisactionfortherecoveryofworkers'compensationbenefitsforagraduallyoccurringinjurytoherrightarm.Afteratrialonthemerits,thetrialcourtawarded,interalia,permanent Z partialdisabilitybenefitsbasedontwentyfivepercenttotherightarm.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedby  apresumptionofcorrectness,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2). `  ` TheclaimantbeganworkingforthisemployerinMarchof1994,feedingloadsofpaperintofeedingpocketstomakemagazines.Sheworkedfourtwelvehourshiftsandwasoffforthreedays,thenworkedthreetwelvehourshiftsandwasoffforfourdays.Fromtherepetitiveuseofherrighthandandarm,shegraduallydevelopeddisablingpainandwasreferredbytheemployertoDr.CooperBeazley,whoprescribedsteroidinjections.Shewasunabletoworkforaboutfourweeks.Shortlyafterreturningtowork,shewasinvolvedinanautomobileaccident.Afterthataccident,shedidnotreturntoworkfortheemployer. `  ` Dr.Beazleydiagnosedlateralepicondylitisortenniselbow.Hewasequivocalastowhethertheinjurywaspermanent.Dr.DeweyThomas,whoexaminedandevaluatedtheclaimant,assignedapermanentimpairmentratingoftenpercenttotherightarm.Histestimonyestablishedacausalconnectionbetweentheinjuryandtherepetitiveuseoftheclaimant'srightarmatworkandwassupportedbythelayproofofferedbytheclaimant.Theonlyevidenceofferedattrialbytheemployerwasthetestimonyofitsinsuranceadministrator,whotestifiedthattheclaimantdidnotcomplainafterthesteroidinjections. `  ` Atthetimeofthetrial,theclaimantwasworkingwithpainforanotheremployer.Shetestifiedthatherdisabilityhadnotincreasedasaresultofhernewjob. ` 0`  x (#X0 ` Whereaconditiondevelopsgraduallyoveraperiodoftimeresultinginadefinite,workconnected,unexpected,fortuitousinjury,itiscompensableasaninjurybyaccident.BrownShoeCo.v.Reed,209Tenn.106,350S.W.2d 5T0- 65(1961).Trialcourtsarenotrequiredtoaccepttheopinionofatreatingphysicianoveranyotherconflictingexpertmedicaltestimony.ThetrialjudgedidnotabusehisdiscretionbyacceptingthetestimonyofDr.Thomas F830 concerningcausationandpermanency.Thefirstissueisresolvedinfavoroftheclaimant. ` Thesuccessiveor"lastinjurious"injuryruleisthatwhereanemployeeispermanentlydisabledasaresultofacombinationoftwoormoreaccidentsoccurringatdifferenttimesandwhiletheemployeewasworkingfordifferentemployers,theemployerforwhomtheemployeewasworkingatthetimeofthemostrecentaccidentisgenerallyliableforpermanentdisabilitybenefits.McCormickv.SnappyCarRentals,Inc.,806S.W.2d527(Tenn.1991).Ithas `  noapplicationtothepresentcasebecausetheclaimant'sonlycompensableinjury,accordingtoherunrebuttedtestimony,occurredwhileshewasworkingforQuebecor. ` Fortheabovereasons,theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourtandthejudgmentisthereforeaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant.  E( ` hp x (#` XE_______________________________  ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?CONCUR:_________________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,AssociateJustice_________________________________JamesL.Weatherford,SeniorJudge0`  x (#X0   < TR[A' Legal[A'A' LegalA' LegalT@ T INTHESUPREMEOFTENNESSEE  @  'TATNASHVILLE   r$(<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  r  %  SHARONABBOTT%!@%%-T}  %  MONTGOMERYCIRCUIT%0"  n @%%-T}  No.Below%  C12404%" 4   ` Plaintiff/Appell%  ee%"@%%-T} J  @%%-T}  Hon.%  JamesE.Walton%c# `  vs.@TT-TH%%-T} v  @%%-T}t(>.*jx.` `@En` 8ttxP tt(>.*jx.` `@En` 8ttxP t@%%-T}  No.%  01S019805CV00087%7%   %  QUEBECORPRINTING%}%@%%-T}   @%%-T} ` Defendant/Appell%  ant%&@%%-T}  %  AFFIRMED%Q& 4 r(<,(j 8` `@E@+` 8ttxPx&  r@SS&TJUDGMENTORDER &v  ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingthe h orderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` Costswillbepaidby%  defendant/appellant%*,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ` ITISSOORDEREDon%  April7,1999%*. `        x   (#  `     PERCURIAM 61.  `