ÿWPC …# VUNa %¯ 0(µ4Ýñ 1m w@u 0dµ E 0J 0Te 0^¹ 0h 0r 0|ñ 0†m 0ó 1uƒ 0dø U>\B)šDCà AMU*S} BŒv~©vÓ' D3ú 0@- 0m 0Šü 0 † 0´& 0ÇÚ 0Û¡ 0ï| AOkƺ 0D€ D/Ä Bó˜HP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPTÀÌÀääÀÀÌ0 (ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡z!3|x  tuvwxyz#,37=CIQYag­­1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a) ÷ ieø Dù ú Dû ü ý þ ÿ Ó€ (<1$´´Ô2Ô6.Ú  Ú0Ú  ÚÔ3  Ôà0  à2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, 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% Line 7 d!!!!7Border 1dd€-"Cþÿ << Gÿÿ< Œ 9p`(Arial Ý ƒ!ÝÑ#€d#ÑÔ€ ÔÝ  ÝÔ€$ÔÔ€$ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€$XÔÌÌò òOctober€10,€1996ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€$ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó ó dPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'@Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  BA Op Geneva ÒÒ  BA Op Geneva Ò&&&&'ÿÿdxd("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò(gfi$µµà0  àÔ2(ÆÔ6.Ú  Ú0Ú  Ú.Ú  Ú0Ú  ÚÔ3  Ôà0` (#(#à(bÕä$¶¶à0  àà0` (#(#àÔ2ˆAÔÚ  ÚÚ  Ú.Ô3  Ôà0¸ ` (#` (#à(xâr$··à0  àà0` (#(#àà0¸ ` (#` (#àÔ2ˆAÔ(Ú  Ú0Ú  Ú)Ô3  Ôà0¸ (#¸ (#à(ŒU$¸¸à0  àà0` (#(#àà0¸ ` (#` (#àà0¸ (#¸ (#àÔ2ˆAÔ(Ú  ÚaÚ  Ú)Ô3  Ôà0h(#(#à(Ÿ@Æ$¹¹à0  àà0` (#(#àà0¸ ` (#` (#àà0¸ (#¸ (#àà0h(#(#àÔ2ˆAÔ(Ú  ÚÚ  Ú)Ô3  Ôà0Àh(#h(#à(³ýt$ººà0  àà0` (#(#àà0¸ ` (#` (#àà0¸ (#¸ (#àà0h(#(#àà0Àh(#h(#àÔ2ˆAÔÚ  Ú0Ú  Ú)Ô3  Ôà0À(#À(#à(Çñû$»»à0  àà0` (#(#àà0¸ ` (#` (#àà0¸ (#¸ (#àà0h(#(#àà0Àh(#h(#àà0À(#À(#àÔ2ˆAÔÚ  ÚaÚ  Ú)Ô3  Ôà0p(#(#à€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ ÔÝ  ÝÒ p ÒÒ „ ÒÑ\R AØ'\Ñ›Ñ7€¶yXdìdÈ7Ñœò òÔ€ ŠÔ›à@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€€APPEALS€PANELÌà@ àAT€JACKSONÌà@ à(October€9,€1995€Session)Ìó óÌßA€& ) °°xdEp§ äAßÌÌDEBORAH€JEAN€œBARNER›,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àPlaintiff„Appellee,à àà àà à)à àHENRY€CIRCUITÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àà àÌV.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€Julian€Guinn,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àJudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌEMERSON€ELECTRIC€COMPANY,à0 à)à0 àNo.€€œ02S01›„9505„CV„00043ÌÙ€€ÙœßL€#%";+'h|³Ð` Å `€€Lß›à àà àà àà àà àà à)€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àDefendant„Appellant.à àà à)ÌÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellant:à àà àà àà àà àFor€Appellee:óóÌÌThomas€F.€Ventimigliaà àà àà àà àCharles€L.ÏHicks€€ÌHessing,€Ventimiglia€&€Swayneà àà àà àCamden,€TN€à àÌParis,€TN€à àà àà àà àà àà àÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àÌÌà@ àÌÌÓÓÌÌà@ àòòMEMORANDUM€OPINIONóóÌÌÌà@ àÌÌà@ àòòMembers€of€Panel:ÌÓÓÌà@ àóóLyle€Reid,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌà@ àJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌà@ àJanice€M.€Holder,€Special€JudgeÌÓÓÌAFFIRMEDà àà àà àà àà àà àà àHolder,€JudgeÌÌà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€pursuant€to€Tenn.ÏCode€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€of€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law.€€Our€scope€of€review€of€findings€of€fact€by€the€trial€court€isÏòòde€novoóó€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€accompanied€by€a€presumption€ofÏcorrectness,€unless€the€preponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€Tenn.€CodeÏAnn.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àThe€employer€contends€the€trial€court€erred€in:Ìà8 à1.à àAwarding€€permanent€partial€disability€benefits€based€on€à0 à80%€to€the€left€hand;€andÌà8 à2.à àAwarding€the€cost€of€obtaining€Dr.€Robert€J.€Barnett'sÏdeposition€as€a€recoverable€discretionary€cost.€ÌWe€affirm€the€trial€court€as€to€both€issues.Ìà àDeborah€Jean€Barner€(ð ðBarnerðð)€is€41€years€of€age€and€a€high€schoolÏgraduate.€€Other€than€attending€college€for€one€quarter,€she€has€no€additionalÏeducational€experience,€specialized€training€or€vocational€training.€€Her€workÏhistory€consists€entirely€of€factory€work.€€Prior€to€employment€at€Emerson,ÏBarner€performed€assembly€work€in€a€plastics€factory€and€worked€in€factoriesÏwhere€clothing€was€constructed€and€shoes€were€manufactured.€€Ìà àOn€October€18,€1993,€Barner€injured€her€non„dominant€left€hand€arisingÍout€of€the€course€and€scope€of€her€employment.€€From€a€list€of€three€doctorsÏgiven€to€her€by€the€employer,€she€chose€Dr.€Harrison,€whose€billing€reflects€thatÏhe€treated€her€on€four€occasions€over€a€four€month€period.€€Dr.€Harrison€referredÏher€to€Dr.€Stonecipher,€an€orthopedic€surgeon.€€Barner€became€dissatisfied€withÏDr.€Stonecipherððs€treatment€and€continued€to€have€difficulty€performing€her€jobÏduties€without€swelling€and€constant€pain.€Ìà àBarner€was€then€referred€by€her€attorney€to€Dr.€David€œGaw›,€who€referredÏher€to€Dr.€Charles€Emerson,€another€orthopedic€surgeon.€€€Dr.€Emersonððs€records,Ïstipulated€for€admission€into€evidence,€diagnosed€an€ulnar€dislocation€of€theÏextensor€tendons€of€the€second€and€third€finger€secondary€to€a€tear€or€stretchingÏof€the€shroud€fibers€of€the€MCP€joint.€€Barner€underwent€surgery€on€March€4,Ï1994,€and€was€returned€to€work€by€Dr.€Emerson€on€April€5,€1994,€with€the€Ïrecommendation€not€to€return€to€her€previous€job€of€lifting€motors.€€On€May€9,Ï1994,€Dr.€Emerson€recommended€that€Barner€not€lift€more€than€10€pounds€untilÏthe€tendons€of€her€left€hand€had€totally€healed.€Ìà àBarner€has€returned€to€her€regular€job.€€She€is,€however,€doing€assemblyÏline€work,€making€parts€for€a€saw€rather€than€lifting€and€carrying€motors.€€BarnerÏcomplains€of€swelling€in€her€hand€after€working€on€the€assembly€line.€€SheÏcontinues€to€have€difficulty€making€a€fist€and€in€using€her€second€and€thirdÏfingers€in€lifting€or€handling€objects,€compensating€by€placing€her€palm€upwardÏand€using€the€outside€part€of€her€hand€to€lift€objects.€Ìà àBased€on€his€examination€of€Barner€on€September€9,€1994,€Dr.€EmersonÏfound€that€she€had€a€forty„eight€percent€(48%)€impairment€of€the€index€finger€onÏthe€basis€of€her€limitation€of€motion€of€the€PIP€and€MCP€œjoints.€›€He€equated€theÍimpairment€to€a€ten€percent€(10%)€impairment€of€hand€function€based€on€theÏAMA€Guidelines€to€Impairment€of€Function.€€On€October€26,€1994,€Dr.€EmersonÏclarified€his€impairment€function€rating€by€increasing€the€impairment€to€her€handÏto€eleven€percent€(11%),€giving€consideration€to€decreased€grip€strength.Ìà àDr.€Robert€J.€Barnett€saw€œBarner›€on€one€occasion€for€the€purpose€ofÏexpressing€an€opinion€at€trial.€€He€provided€no€treatment.€€Dr.€Barnett€testified€byÏdeposition€that€upon€examination€on€August€5,€1994,€œBarner›€could€bend€theÏmetacarpal€phalangeal€joint€of€her€left€hand€only€about€15€degrees,€rather€thanÏthe€usual€80€or€90€degrees€making€a€fist.€€She€can€flex€the€middle€finger€onlyÏabout€15€degrees.€€Her€fingers€will€not€touch€her€palm,€the€distance€between€herÏfingers€and€palm€being€several€inches.€€Ìà àWhen€measured,€œBarner›ððs€grip€strength€in€the€injured€left€hand€was€onlyÏ25€pounds€compared€to€a€grip€of€70€pounds€with€the€right€hand.€€Basing€hisÏopinion€on€the€latest€edition€of€the€AMA€Guidelines,€Dr.€Barnett€found€thatÏœBarner›€suffered€a€sixty€percent€(60%)€grip€strength€loss€in€the€hand€and€assessedÏher€impairment€as€twenty„seven€percent€(27%)€to€the€hand.€€In€making€hisÏassessment,€Dr.€Barnett€considered€œBarner›ððs€inability€to€finely€coordinate€herÏfingers,€her€lack€of€grip€in€picking€up€objects,€the€weakness€in€her€hand,€and€herÏinability€to€hold€small€things€because€she€cannot€make€a€fist.ÌÌà@ àPERMANENT€PARTIAL€DISABILITY€RATINGÌà àThe€employer€contends€that€the€trial€court€erred€in€€awarding€€permanentÏpartial€disability€benefits€based€on€eighty€percent€(80%)€to€the€left€hand.Ìà àThe€trial€court€found€that,€based€on€the€testimony€and€record€of€theÍphysicians€and€the€testimony€of€œBarner›,€that€she€has€an€almost€total€loss€of€herÏhand€due€to€her€inability€to€close€her€fingers;€that€her€injured€fingers€cannot€beÏbrought€to€the€palm€and€are€almost€useless€unless€she€is€attempting€to€grip€anÏobject€in€excess€of€at€least€three€inches€in€diameter.€€œBarner›€has€difficulties€withÏlifting€movements€and€suffers€pain€after€the€use€of€her€hand€for€prolongedÏperiods.Ìà àThe€trial€judge€may€consider€many€pertinent€factors,€including€age,€jobÏskills,€education,€training,€duration€of€disability,€and€job€opportunities€for€theÏdisabled,€in€addition€to€anatomical€impairment,€for€the€purposes€of€evaluating€theÏextent€of€a€claimant's€permanent€disability.€€òòMiles€v.€Liberty€œMut›.€œIns›.€Coóó.,€795ÏœS.W.2d›€665€(Tenn.€1990);€òòœWorthington›€v.€œModine›€œMfg›.€Co.óó,€798€œS.W.2d›€232,Ï234€(Tenn.€1990).Ìà àœBarner›ððs€work€experience€was€entirely€as€a€factory€worker.€€The€injury€toÏher€fingers€significantly€affected€her€ability€to€perform€job€related€duties;€sheÏcontinues€to€be€unable€to€fully€function€without€pain€and€swelling.€€We€find€thatÏthe€evidence€does€not€preponderate€against€the€findings€of€the€trial€court.ÌÌà@ àAWARD€OF€EXPENSE€OF€œDR›.€BARNETTððS€DEPOSITIONÌà àThe€employer€contends€that€the€opinion€of€Dr.€Barnett€was€not€necessaryÏto€the€court's€decision€and€that€the€trial€court€erred€in€awarding,€as€a€recoverableÏdiscretionary€cost,€Dr.€Barnett's€deposition€fee€of€$540.00,€plus€$101.40€for€theÏtaking€and€transcribing€of€the€deposition.€€Ìà àThe€employer€argues€that€the€claimant€obtained€Dr.€Barnettððs€testimonyÏafter€one€consultation€for€the€sole€purpose€of€making€a€€recommendationÍconcerning€the€extent€and€degree€of€œBarner›ððs€injury.€€Dr.€Barnett€based€part€ofÏhis€opinion€on€his€review€of€Dr.€Emersonððs€medical€file;€the€court€ruled€that€theÏexpense€of€Dr.€Emersonððs€treatment€was€not€recoverable€from€the€employerÏbecause€the€treatment€was€not€authorized.€€The€employer€also€points€out€that€Dr.ÏBarnett's€rating€was€made€before€Dr.€Emerson's€final€evaluation€of€impairmentÏand€his€discharge€of€Barner.€€The€Plaintiff€readily€admits€that€Dr.€BarnettððsÏtreatment€was€not€authorized€by€the€employer.€€€€Ìà àRule€54.04(2)€of€the€Tennessee€Rules€of€Civil€Procedure€provides:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àà àCosts€not€included€in€the€bill€of€costs€preparedÏby€the€clerk€are€allowable€only€in€the€court'sÏdiscretion.€Discretionary€costs€allowable€are:Ïreasonable€and€necessary€court€reporter€expenses€forÏdepositions€or€trials,€reasonable€and€necessary€expertÏwitness€fees€for€depositions€or€trials.€.€.€.€Subject€toÏRule€41.04,€a€party€requesting€discretionary€costsÏshall€file€and€serve€a€motion€within€thirty€(30)€daysÏafter€entry€of€judgment.€The€trial€court€retainsÏjurisdiction€over€a€motion€for€discretionary€costs€evenÏthough€a€party€has€filed€a€notice€of€appeal.ÌÌÓÓà àThe€awarding€of€discretionary€costs€is€discretionary,€and€the€judgment€ofÏthe€trial€court€will€not€be€disturbed€on€appeal€absent€a€showing€that€the€trialÏcourt€abused€its€discretion.€€òòPerdue€v.€Green€Branch€Min.€Co.óó,€837€S.W.2d€56,Ï60€(Tenn.€1992).€€The€trial€court€based€much€of€its€ruling€on€the€testimony€of€Dr.ÏBarnett€and€the€medical€records€of€Dr.€Emerson.€€Dr.€Emerson,€who€was€notÏauthorized€to€treat€Barner€but€who€did€perform€apparently€necessary€surgery,Ïdid€not€testify.€€Dr.€Barnett,€who€was€similarly€unauthorized€to€treat€Barner,€didÏtestify.€€Ìà àThat€these€doctors€were€unauthorized€to€treat€Barner€under€the€workersððÏcompensation€statute€under€œT.R.C.P.›€54.02(2)€does€not€make€their€testimonyÍunnecessary.€€The€trial€court€could,€and€did,€draw€useful€and€necessaryÏconclusions€from€the€records€and€testimony.€€òòœCf›.€€òòóóMiles€v.€œVoos›€Health€CareÏCenteróó,€896€œS.W.2d›€773€(Tenn.€1995)€(discretionary€costs€are€available€forÏexpense€of€trial€testimony€of€vocational€expert).€€We€find€that€the€trial€court€didÏnot€abuse€its€discretion€in€awarding€the€costs€associated€with€Dr.€BarnettððsÏdeposition€against€the€employer.Ìà àThe€judgment€is€affirmed€and€the€cause€remanded€to€the€trial€court€forÏcollection€of€costs€and€enforcement€of€judgment.€€Costs€on€appeal€are€taxed€toÏthe€defendant„appellant.ÌÓÓÌÌÌà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 à_____________________________________Ìà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àJanice€M.€Holder,€JudgeÌÌÌÌÌÌÓÓCONCUR:ÌÌÓÓ________________________________ÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€œJudge›ÓӜԀ XÔ›