ÿWPCò 0# °U:» %õ 0ûûw@ö46JY a g 0Jm 0T· 0^  0hi 0rÑ 0|C 0†¿ 0E 1uÕ U,J 0dv U,Ú U* B)0 DCY AMœ 0@é D3) B\ D+y ¤¤ v~HvÓÆ AO™Æè 0D®˜HP LaserJet 4 Plus/4M PlusHPPCL5E,,,,0 , øð AZ‹"Arial RegularX(Óý,$¡¡Ñ  ÑÒH°ÒÒ°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ Legal[  AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ LegalTÑÔ€XûXXXÔÑ7€>‚XXdðXXdð7Ñ Ær‚ÇÈDÉeÊËDÌÊÍÓ€ØÛdO˜ 3|xÛÈRHR2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô  ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)< Œ 9p`(ModernP ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Monaco< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd-%#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò'''''ÿÿdxd d'ÈÈÈÈdxd šÝ ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€ÔÔ€!ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€d#ÑÝ  ÝÔ€!ÔÔ YYY ÔÓ  ÓFILEDÔ€!XÔÌÌò òJuneÏ20,Ï1996ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(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 ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑMonacoÑÑ ÑÒ  BA Op Monaco ÒÒ  BA Op Monaco Ò-%/(Cþÿ` << CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó óÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÓ&€  X„d&ÓÑ#€  Xd#ÑÔ€!ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÝ  ÝÓ  Óò ò›IN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌSPECIAL€WORKERSðð€COMPENSATION€APPEALSÏPANELÌAT€NASHVILLEÌÓ  ÓÌÌÌÌÌó óÌBEECHER€KENT€BILBREYà àà à)à àPUTNAMÏCHANCERYÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌÙ€-ÙœßL€$)#;+'h|¤d` à. `€€Lß›à àPlaintiff/Appellantà àà àà à)à àHON.ÏVERNON€NEALÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àChancellorÌv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌROADWAY€EXPRESS,€INC.,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendant/Appelleeà àà à)à àNO.€Ï01S01„9511„CH„00215ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellant:à àà àà àà àFor€theÏAppellee:ÌÌó óóóœNolan›€R.€œGoolsby›à àà àà àà àEugene€StoneÏœForrester›,€Jr.ÌBennett€&€œGoolsby›à àà àà àà àFarris,€œMathews›,ÏœGilman›,Ì107€South€Washington€Avenueà àà àà àœBranan›€&ÏœHellen›ÌœCookeville›,€TN€38501à àà àà àOne€CommerceÏSquare,€Suite€2000Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àMemphis,€TNÏ38103ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÓ  Óò òòòMEMORANDUM€OPINIONÌÌMembers€of€Panel:ÌÌó óóóFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€JusticeÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òAFFIRMED.à àà àà àà àà àà àTHAYER,€Special€Judgeó óÌÓÓà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€withÏTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€CourtÏof€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€Ìà àPlaintiff,€Beecher€Kent€Bilbrey,€has€appealed€from€the€action€of€the€trial€courtÏin€dismissing€his€claim€for€benefits€because€he€failed€to€render€proper€notice€of€theÏclaim€to€defendant,€Roadway€Express,€Inc.€€The€Chancellor€made€alternativeÏfindings€regarding€all€other€aspects€of€the€claim€in€the€event€it€was€determined€theÏnotice€requirement€had€been€complied€with€or€reasonably€excused.Ìà àPlaintiff€is€50€years€of€age€and€has€a€œ9th›€grade€education.€€He€was€employedÍas€a€driver€for€defendant€trucking€company.€€On€about€June€20,€1993,€while€at€aÏtrucking€terminal€in€Huntsville,€Alabama,€he€testified€he€injured€his€back€whenÏhooking€a€set€of€double€trailers.€€He€said€he€called€his€dispatcher€and€told€him€heÏhad€pulled€his€back€but€didnððt€think€it€was€going€to€be€any€problem.Ìà àHe€told€the€trial€court€that€upon€returning€to€the€Nashville€terminal,€RobertÏAnderson,€a€supervisor,€asked€him€if€he€had€been€drinking€and€would€he€consent€toÏtake€a€blood€alcohol€test.€€He€denied€having€drank€anything€and€consented€to€takeÏthe€test.€€He€said€he€told€Anderson€he€did€not€want€to€wait€a€long€period€of€time€toÏbe€given€the€test€but€left€after€waiting€about€15€minutes.€€He€returned€to€CookevilleÏwhere€he€went€to€the€hospital€emergency€room.Ìà àThe€record€indicates€that€he€returned€to€the€emergency€room€on€about€JuneÏœ30th›€and€saw€several€doctors€during€June€and€July,€1993,€concerning€his€physicalÏcondition.Ìà àPlaintiff€testified€that€shortly€after€the€incident€on€June€œ20th›€he€also€calledÏRoger€Morrison,€a€relay€manager,€and€told€him€he€had€hurt€his€back,€had€been€toÏthe€hospital€and€wanted€to€go€on€sick€leave.€€He€said€Morrison€told€him€he€wasÏterminated€for€leaving€the€job.€€When€asked€if€he€had€told€how€he€hurt€his€back,€heÏreplied,€ð ðNo.€€I€didnððt€like€his€attitude.€€He€made€me€œmad.ð𛀀Plaintiff€testified€he€knewÏit€was€a€violation€of€company€policy€to€leave€without€taking€the€blood€test€after€heÏhad€agreed€to€do€so.€€He€also€acknowledged€that€he€was€aware€that€he€would€beÏterminated€for€this€reason.Ìà àA€union€representative€later€told€plaintiff€if€he€was€injured€on€the€job,€heÏneeded€to€fill€out€a€work„related€accident€report.€€The€parties€have€stipulated€thisÍreport€was€filed€on€August€13,€1993,€which€was€about€54€days€after€the€accident.Ìà àDefense€witness€Robert€Anderson€testified€plaintiff€had€called€him€on€theÏnight€in€question€but€did€not€mention€he€had€been€hurt€or€anything€about€anÏaccident.€€He€said€two€dispatchers€advised€him€plaintiff€had€been€drinking€and€thisÏwas€why€he€requested€the€blood€alcohol€test.€€He€said€when€he€observed€him€heÏlooked€glassy€eyed;€his€face€was€red;€and€he€smelled€like€he€had€been€drinking.€ÏHe€called€for€other€personnel€to€transport€him€to€the€hospital€for€the€test.€€He€saidÏplaintiff€left€shortly€before€they€arrived.Ìà àDefense€witness€Roger€Morrison€testified€plaintiff€called€him€the€dayÏfollowing€his€return€from€Huntsville€and€asked€to€be€placed€on€the€sick€board;€thatÏhe€did€not€mention€an€accident€or€even€being€hurt.€€He€told€him€he€could€not€placeÏhim€on€sick€status€as€he€had€failed€to€take€the€blood€alcohol€test.Ìà àThe€review€of€the€case€is€òòde€novoóó€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,Ïaccompanied€by€a€presumption€of€the€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact€unless€theÏpreponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€òòT.C.A.€ðð€50„6„225(3)(2).€€Ìà àóóWhere€the€trial€court€had€seen€and€heard€witnesses€and€issues€of€credibilityÏand€the€weight€of€oral€testimony€are€involved,€the€trial€court€is€in€a€better€position€toÏjudge€credibility€and€weight€evidence€and€considerable€deference€must€beÏaccorded€to€those€circumstances.€€òòLanders€v.€Firemanððs€Fund,€Inc.,óó€775€S.W.2d€356Ï(Tenn.€1989).Ìà àFrom€our€independent€review€of€the€case,€we€cannot€say€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€finding€of€the€trial€court€on€the€question€of€notice.Ìà àòòT.C.A.ðð€50„6„201óó€requires€written€notice€to€an€employer€who€does€not€haveÍactual€notice€and€it€must€be€given€within€30€days€after€the€accident€unlessÏreasonable€excuse€exists€for€not€complying€with€the€rule.Ìà àFirst,€it€is€conceded€by€plaintiff€he€did€not€give€written€notice€within€30€days€ofÏthe€date€of€the€accident.€€Secondly,€we€find€the€record€is€insufficient€to€establishÏactual€notice€to€Defendant.€€In€òòMasters€v.€Industrial€Garments€Manufacturing€Co.,Ïóó595€S.W.2d€811€(Tenn.€1980),€the€Supreme€Court€stated€ð ðan€employee€who€reliesÏupon€alleged€actual€knowledge€of€the€employer€must€prove€that€the€employer€hadÏactual€knowledge€of€the€time,€place,€nature€and€cause€of€the€injury.ðð€€The€opinionÏcontinues€on€to€hold€that€in€order€for€a€communication€to€constitute€actualÏknowledge€on€the€part€of€the€employer,€it€must€be€calculated€to€reasonably€conveyÏthe€idea€to€the€employer€that€the€employee€claims€to€have€suffered€an€injury€arisingÏout€of€and€in€the€course€of€employment.€€Although€the€testimony€regarding€whatÏplaintiff€allegedly€told€company€representatives€is€in€conflict,€we€find€plaintiffððsÏversion€of€the€conversations€would€not€impute€notice€to€the€Defendant€that€he€wasÏhurt€or€injured€while€working.Ìà àLast,€plaintiff€argues€the€circumstances€of€the€case€should€support€aÏreasonable€excuse€for€not€giving€the€notice.€€In€this€connection,€it€is€stated€plaintiffÏdid€not€realize€how€serious€his€injury€was€until€informed€by€his€doctor€on€about€JulyÏ14,€1993,€which€was€within€30€days€of€the€rendition€of€notice€on€August€œ13th›.ÌWe€are€unable€to€agree€with€this€contention.€€If€we€were€to€follow€plaintiffððsÏargument,€we€would€be€altering€the€rules€to€excuse€notice€to€an€employer€until€aÏfinal€medical€diagnosis€was€made.€€There€are€no€circumstances€to€support€theÏposition€that€notice€should€be€excused.Ìà àIt€results€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Costs€of€the€appeal€areÏtaxed€to€plaintiff€and€sureties.ÌÓÓÌà àà àà àà àà àà à_________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€JusticeÌÔ% € ÔÌÌ_________________________________ÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€Judge€œ›Ô% € Ô