ÿWPC …<VUN’ %à 0(æENw@^4ž²Á 0JÉ 0T Æg Æ- Æó ƹ 0^ 0hÝ 0rE 0|· 0†3 0¹ 1uI 0d¾U>" B`B)}DC¦U *é D3 0DF AMŠ 0@×ëv~vÓŽ AQaƲ 0Dx D/¼ BëC:\WPWIN60\TEMPLATE\LEGAL.WPT(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡c:\wpwin60\template\oldtemps\legal.wpt DDUÓ€)-V.î/Ó€;§aö"øð Ôô3|x;2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  ÔLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5‚Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5„Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5…Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman d% Line 7 d''''7Border 1dd< Œ 9p`(Arial&&&&'ÿÿdxd(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý€-(Cþÿ << Gÿÿ("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò áÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€%ÔÝ  ÝÔ€)ÔÔ€)ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€)XÔÌÌò òAugust€18,€1997ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€)ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó ó Ý ƒ!ÝÑ#€d#ÑÔ€%ÔÝ  ÝÔ€)ÔÔ€)ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€)XÔÌÌò òAugust€18,€1997ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€)ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva Ò€+-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€%ÔÝ  ÝÑ\R AØ'\ÑÙ€€ÙÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€)ÔßR€,.(A1-j|` Å `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àSPECIAL€WORKERSðð€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌà@ àAT€JACKSONÌà@ à(May€23,€1997€Session)ÌÌÌÌÌSARAH€ARCHIE,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àà àLAUDERDALE€CHANCERYÌà àPlaintiff/Appellee,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àà àHON.€JOHN€HILL€œCHISOLM›,ÌœVS›.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àà àCHANCELLORÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àà àNO.€œ02S01›„9701„CH„00006ÌS€&€R€OF€TENNESSEE,€a/k/a€œSIEGEL›à à)ÌROBERT€OF€TENNESSEE€and€œITT›à à)ÌHARTFORD€INSURANCE€COMPANY,à à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendants/Appellant.à àà à)ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌòòÌFOR€APPELLANTóó:à àà àà àà àà àòòà àFOR€APPELLEEóó:òòÌÌóóWilliam€B.€Walk,€Jr.à àà àà àà àà àà àLisa€June€CoxÌThe€œHardison›€Law€Firmà àà àà àà àà àJackson,€TennesseeÌMemphis,€TennesseeÌÌÌÌÌÌà@ àòòM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌà@ àMailed€June€____,€1997ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌà@ àòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌÓ  ÓJanice€M.€Holder,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌRobert€A.€Lanier,€Circuit€JudgeÌDon€R.€Ash,€Circuit€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òAFFIRMEDó óà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àLanier,€JudgeÌÇÑ7€•NXdìXXdì7Ñà@ àòòMEMORANDUM€OPINIONóóÌÌÌÓÓà àThis€workersðð€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€Special€WorkersððÏCompensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€TennesseeÏCode€Annotated€Section€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€of€findings€of€factÏand€conclusions€of€law.Ìà àAs€stated€by€counsel€for€the€appellant€in€oral€argument,€this€appeal€raises€onlyÏone€issue:€€Whether€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€trial€courtððs€award€of€thirtyÏpercent€(30%)€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€left€arm€and€fifteen€percent€(15%)Ïpermanent€partial€disability€to€the€right€arm.€Ìà àPlaintiff€is€a€46€year€old€woman€who€worked€for€the€employer€for€19€years.€€AtÏthe€time€of€her€injury,€which€is€not€disputed,€her€duties€were€to€remove€five€to€sevenÏpound€parts€from€one€line,€inspect€them€and€place€them€on€another€line.€€She€beganÏexperiencing€pain€in€her€hands€and€was€referred€by€the€employer€to€Dr.€D.€J.€œCanale›,Ïwho€diagnosed€her€condition€as€compatible€with€carpal€tunnel€syndrome.€€On€July€27,Ï1993,€he€operated€on€her€left€hand,€which€was€causing€her€the€most€problem.€€HeÏallowed€her€to€return€to€work€on€September€13,€1993.€€He€felt€that€she€had€done€wellÏand€had€no€permanent€physical€impairment.€€She€still€complained€of€pain€onÏNovember€4,€1993.€€He€noted€that€she€used€a€drill€or€press€at€work€which€she€had€toÏgrab€with€both€hands€and€had€to€lift€stock€off€of€an€assembly€line,€although€she€did€notÏhave€to€do€repetitive€acts€with€the€left€hand.€€He€felt€that€it€was€possible€that€she€hadÏsome€mild€arthritis.€€He€last€saw€her€on€December€8,€1993,€at€which€time€she€wasÏapparently€not€without€symptoms€and€he€felt€that€she€was€developing€some€sort€ofÍarthritic€symptoms€or€œtendonitis›.€€He€felt€that€her€conditions€were€ð ðrelated€to€her€job.ðð€ÏHe€recommended€that€she€avoid€repetitive€stress€on€the€hand€and€wrist,€specificallyÏany€job€that€required€forceful€flexion€of€the€wrist€in€a€repetitive€fashion€over€a€numberÏof€hours€in€the€day,€and€said€that€she€would€be€at€risk€of€having€additional€problems€ifÏshe€did€such€motions.Ìà àClaimantððs€attorney€referred€her€to€Dr.€Robert€Christopher,€a€physical€medicineÏand€rehabilitation€œspecialist,›€for€evaluation.€€He€saw€her€on€May€17,€1975.€€In€hisÏopinion€the€repetitive€motion€activity€at€work€aggravated€her€preexisting€condition€ofÏrheumatoid€arthritis,€resulting€in€the€complaints€of€constant€pain€in€the€left€hand€withÏrecurrent€numbness€and€tingling,€which€she€also€had€to€a€lesser€degree€in€her€rightÏhand.€€She€also€complained€of€weakness€in€both€hands.€€Dr.€Christopher€felt€that€thereÏwas€evidence€of€inflammatory€arthritis€in€the€hands€which€very€likely€preexisted€theÏinjury€but€had€been€aggravated€by€the€injury.€€He€felt€that€the€repetitive€motion€activityÏat€work€aggravated€the€preexisting€condition€of€rheumatoid€arthritis€that€lead€to€theÏproblems€that€she€displayed€when€he€saw€her€on€two€occasions.€€He€gave€his€opinion,Ïbased€upon€the€AMA€Guides€to€the€Evaluation€of€Permanent€Impairment,€œ4th›€Ed.,€thatÏshe€sustained€permanent€impairment€as€a€result€of€her€on„the„job€injuries.€€He€felt€thatÏthis€impairment€was€six€percent€(6%)€to€the€left€upper€extremity€related€to€limitation€ofÏmotion,€with€a€grip€strength€loss€that€was€equal€to€ten€percent€(10%)€of€that€extremity.€ÏTherefore,€his€opinion€of€the€total€impairment€to€the€left€upper€extremity€was€fifteenÏpercent€(15%),€or€nine€percent€(9%)€to€the€whole€person€on€the€left.€€With€regard€to€theÏright€upper€extremity,€he€felt€there€was€permanent€impairment€of€three€percent€(3%),Ïwhich€converted€to€an€impairment€of€the€whole€person€of€two€percent€(2%).Ìà àThe€chief€dispute€centers€around€the€claimantððs€preexisting€rheumatoid€arthritisÏand€its€relationship€to€any€permanent€disability.€€It€is€the€position€of€the€employer€thatÏthe€carpal€tunnel€problem€was€not€a€permanent€condition€and€that€only€the€rheumatoidÏarthritis€is€a€permanent€condition,€obviously€not€caused€by€the€accident.Ìà àDr.€Christopher€conceded€that€it€was€possible€that€the€rheumatoid€arthritisÏlimited€claimantððs€grip€strength€long€before€the€carpal€tunnel€problem€and€that€he€wasÏunable€to€separate€the€amount€of€permanency€related€to€the€carpal€tunnel€injury€asÏcompared€to€the€rheumatoid€arthritis.€€However,€a€close€reading€of€Dr.€ChristopherððsÏtestimony€reveals€that€he€felt€that€the€ð ðoveruse€type€injuryðð€resulting€in€the€carpal€tunnelÏproblem,€superimposed€on€rheumatoid€œarthritis,›€resulted€in€a€permanent€aggravation.€ÏHe€testified€as€follows:ÌÓÓà8 àà àWell,€in€my€opinion,€the€repetitive€motion€activity€at€workÏaggravated€this€preexisting€condition€of€rheumatoid€arthritis€that€lead€toÏthe€problems€that€she€displayed€when€I€saw€her€on€the€two€occasions.€Ï(Deposition€of€Dr.€Christopher,€pg.€14).ÌÌà8 àà àAnd,€doctor,€after€evaluating€her€two€times,€did€you€form€anÏopinion€as€to€what,€if€any,€permanent€impairment€that€she€retained€òòas€aÏresult€of€her€on„the„job€injuriesóó?€[emphasis€added]ÌÌà àà àA.€€Yes,€œmaððam.€›€(Deposition€of€Dr.€Christopher,€pg.€15).ÌÌà8 àà àQ.€€And€from€a€physiological€type€standpoint,€doctor,€anatomicalÏstandpoint,€what€happens€to€a€humanððs€upper€extremities€when€theyÏhave€an€overuse€type€injury€superimposed€on€rheumatoid€arthritis?ÌÌà8 àà àA.€€Well,€one€of€the€treatments„„one€of€the€important€aspects€ofÏtreatment€of€rheumatoid€arthritis€is€to€limit€motion,€not€necessarily€stop€itÏcompletely€because€the€person€will€get€stiffer,€but€to€limit€repetitiveÏmotion€because€it€is€well€understood€that€when€a€joint€is€irritated€orÏirritable€from€rheumatoid€arthritis€repeated€activity€will€make€the€arthritisÏflare€up.€€And€this€is€what€I€believe€happened€in€this€œcase.€€(Deposition€ofÏDr.€Christopher,€pg.€25).›ÌÌÓÓà àDr.€Christopher€was€of€the€opinion€that€claimant€should€not€return€to€any€type€ofÏwork€that€requires€her€to€do€repetitive€motion€with€her€wrists,€such€as€she€hadÏpreviously€done€with€this€employer.€€He€felt€she€should€also€avoid€activities€thatÏrequired€her€to€do€heavy€exertion€with€her€hands,€such€as€turning€wrenches€or€jar€lidsÏor€the€like,€as€well€as€pushing,€pulling€or€lifting€objects€weighing€more€than€20€pounds.€ÏFinally,€he€recommended€that€she€avoid€any€kind€of€work€that€required€her€to€lift€herÏarms€above€shoulder€height€on€a€repeated€basis.Ìà àWhere€a€preexisting€condition€is€not€aggravated€by€the€accident€on€aÏpermanent€basis,€and€the€preexisting€condition€merely€makes€its€normal€progress€to€aÏdisability,€the€worker€is€not€entitled€to€compensation€for€the€ultimate€condition.€€òòœTibbals›Ïv.€œStanfill›óó,€219€Tenn.€498,€410€œS.W.2d›€892€(1967).€€However,€where€a€preexistingÏcondition€is€aggravated€on€a€permanent€basis€by€an€accident€on„the„job,€the€ultimateÏpermanent€result€is€compensable.€€òòœLedford›€v.€Miller€Brothersóó,€194€Tenn.€467,€253ÏœS.W.2d›€552€(1952).Ìà àFrom€our€independent€examination€of€the€evidence€and€a€consideration€of€theÏabove€principles€of€law,€the€evidence€fails€to€preponderate€against€the€trial€courtððsÏaward€of€disability€in€this€case.Ìà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Costs€of€this€appeal€are€taxed€to€theÏdefendants/appellants.̛̜à àà àà àà àà àà àßA€&)À°hdEÀg3hAßÌà àà àà àà àà àà àRobert€A.€Lanier,€Circuit€JudgeÌÌÓÓœCONCUR:›ÌÌÌÌ_____________________________ÌJanice€M.€Holder,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_____________________________ÌDon€R.€Ash,€Circuit€œJudgeÇÑ ` Ñà@ àÔ€)¼ÔIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌà@ àAT€JACKSONÔ€)XÔÌÌÌÓ#` p…X LÐ X#ÓSARAH€ARCHIE,à àà àà à)à àLAUDERDALE€CHANCERYÌÓ#` p` LÐ X#Óà à)à àNO.€9543ÌÓ` p` ¸ ’XÓà àPlaintiff/Appellee,à à)à àÌÓ#` p` ¸ LÐ X#Óà àà à)à àHon.€John€Chisolm,Ìvs.à àà à)à àChancellorÌà àà à)ÌS€&€R€OF€TENNESSEE,€a/k/a€SIEGELà à)à àNO.€02S01„9701„CH„00006ÌROBERT€OF€TENNESSEE€and€ITTà à)ÌßJ€,/;+'b|h ` Å `€@ÿJßHARTFORD€INSURANCE€COMPANY,à à)Ìà àà à)Ìà àDefendants/Appellants.à à)à àAFFIRMED.ÌÌÌÌà@ àÔ€)¼ÔJUDGMENT€ORDERÔ€)XÔÌÌÓÓÓ  ÓÌÓ` p`  ’XÓà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,€including€the€orderÏof€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€the€Panel'sÏMemorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€whichÏare€incorporated€herein€by€reference.Ìà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€Memorandum€Opinion€of€theÏPanel€should€be€accepted€and€approved;€andÌà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€ofÏlaw€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€is€made€the€judgment€ofÍthe€Court.Ìà àCosts€will€be€paid€by€Appellants,€and€surety,€for€which€execution€mayÏissue€if€necessary.Ìà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€this€18th€day€of€August,€1997.ÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌ(Holder,€J.,€not€participating)ÌÌÌÌ›