WPC Gpb?q*,DŲjz*.(2mZfݖI榡kf f"\9ę@ 0lyo*UhͺJ=[?1?)펬<6vO"7|*7j,DpC; ḿhgf LʄcG݄1n ?phЌګC/` s썉O& Ge&Rm%yEA̜5waϮeT ۑAlf4@;EGI0K"_xngE|eA }$,R9l8 =I{em6 bC3 ]=>u ,o@Iqeu\KGV.V>iD '(Ȳ VˉC,ԭ|)s*m>{Lђhfɻa3iʻ #bph#  UN) %w 0} U :x4U: wL  0?U 0DUN&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& B555555 D3RRR 0 D+ AO 0D D/  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AYl 0FHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nL(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial Regulary& 3|x@  XXXX  bX X Ad   FILED   b   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial RegularH @D@@D@@D@D@D@e@Ӏ@@V@((3v$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX71XXdd7   `   0  (#$  0  (hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular XXXX bXX Ad   FILED#XX b#XX   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk  d$$$$'dxd(3c$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX71XXdd7  'dxd-C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd-:M << deUULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(n$ (  1  ) H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX71XXdd7  @@@@X     @n*8($hx( `EDtt06|nߛ ||$$@ #  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELKNOXVILLE,MAY1999SESSION  p @l*6&"h 8 `Exbtt06\l@@@ $$||DEBORAHZ.BARNES h     ) p JEFFERSONCIRCUIT     `     h     ) p     ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     ) p     `     h     )VS. `     h     ) p Hon.RexHenryOgle,  (#  r   `     h     ) p CircuitJudge X  RITTENHOUSE,INC. h     ) p  >~  `     h     ) ` Defendant/Appellant    ) p No.03S019804CV00043  J  FortheAppellant:   h      p FortheAppellee:   J.EricHarrison   h      p JamesM.Davis X Wimberly,Lawson&Seale     p 214NorthJacksonSt. >~ 550W.MainAve.   h      p Morristown,Tenn.37814 $d NationsBankCenter,Suite601Knoxville,Tenn.37902 h    0    MEMORANDUMOPINION  T$ $  MembersofPanel: &&f"&  FrankF.DrowotaIII,Justice '>$( JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeRogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge/ AFFIRMED.    h      p   THAYER,SpecialJudge =9@( Ї ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.@@@@ ` @@Theemployer,Rittenhouse,Inc.,hasappealedfromthetrialcourtsawardofpermanentdisabilitytoeacharm.Theawardwasfixedat75%totherightarmand60%totheleftarm.@@ ` The@@employee,@@DeborahBarnes,was46yearsofageandisahighschoolgraduate.ShehadworkedforRittenhouseforanumberofyearswhenshebegantodevelopnumbnessandtinglinginherhands.Shewasdiagnosedwith@@bilateralcarpal@@tunnelsyndromeandhadsurgeryoneachhand.Aftersomeperiod@@ofrecovery,@@shereturnedtoworkandwasworkingatthetimeofthetrial. ` Shetestifiedthatsurgeryhelpedtosomeextentbutshewasstillexperiencingproblemsespeciallywithherrighthand.Shesaidshestillhadagreatdealofpain,fingernumbnessandtroubleholdingobjectsunlesssheusedbothhands.Shesaidshecouldnotdomuchhouseworkandthatcoworkersassistedherinperformingworkduties.Shealsocomplainedthathertreatingdoctor(Dr.Ambrosia)didnotwanttolistentoheraboutwhatherworkdutiesrequiredandthathereleasedhertoreturntoworkwithoutnotifyingheraboutthereleaseandthathealsoreleasedhertoreturntoworkwithoutanyphysicalrestrictions. ` ThemedicalnotesofDr.JohnM.Ambrosiawerefiledinevidence.Heperformedthesurgicalproceduresoneachhandandgavea4%medicalimpairmenttoeacharm.Hismedicalnotesseemtosupportplaintiffscontentionshe@@wasreleased@@toworkwithoutanyrestrictionsonherworkactivity. ` Dr.WayneC.Page,afamilypracticedoctorspecializinginoccupationalmedicine,examinedplaintiff.Hetestifiedbydepositionandgaveadiagnosisof(1)bilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromewithresidualsymptomsand(2)tendinitis,handsandwrists.Heopinedshehad36%impairmenttoherrightarmand28%impairmenttotheleftarm.Hewasalsooftheopinionsheshouldnotdoany repetitivetaskswithherhandsandimposedrestrictionsoflifting,etc. 74:  ` TheC32writtenreporttotheTennesseeDepartmentofLaborbyDr.MichaelBrattonwasfiledinevidence.Thisdocumentindicatedtheemployeehad10%medicalimpairmenttoeacharm.  ` Twovocationalconsultantstestified.Dr.RodneyCaldwellopinedtheemployeehad90%vocationaldisabilitybasedonDr.PagesphysicalrestrictionsandnovocationaldisabilitybasedonDr.Ambrosiasreport.MichaelT.Gallowayopinedtheemployeehad85%vocationaldisabilitybasedonDr.Pagesrestrictionsandnovocationaldisabilitybased@@onthe@@Ambrosiareport. ` Thetrialcourtalsoheardtheoraltestimonyofplaintiffshusbandandapersonalfriendconcerningherinabilitytoholdobjectsanddohouseholdwork. ` Thecaseistoberevieweddenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffactunlesswefindthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.T.C.A.506225(e)(2). ` TheemployerarguesthetrialcourtwasinerrorinacceptingthetestimonyofDr.PageovertheevidenceofDr.Ambrosia,whowasthetreatingphysician.Inreachingadecision,thecourtnotedthathehadthetestimonyofDr.PagebutonlyevidenceofmedicalrecordsofDr.Ambrosia,andthatDr.PageplacedemphasisontheemployeeslackofgripstrengthwhereastherewasnoevidencetoindicateDr.Ambrosiaconsideredthisordidanygripstrengthtesting. ` Theruleisthatifthereisconflictingmedicaltestimony,thetrialjudge@@has@@@@discretion@@toconcludethattheopinionofaparticularexpertshouldbeacceptedoverthatofanotherexpertandthatoneexpertstestimonycontainsamore@@probable@@@@explanation@@thananotherexpertstestimony.Thomasv.AetnaLife&Cas.Co.,812 H+', S.W.2d278(Tenn.1991). ` Inmakingthischoicebetweenconflictingopinions,thetrialcourtisallowedtoconsiderthequalificationsoftheexperts,thecircumstancesoftheirexamination,theinformationavailabletothem,andtheevaluationoftheimportanceof@@that@@@@information@@byotherexperts.Ormanv.WilliamsSonoma,Inc.,803S.W.2d672,676 H406 (Tenn.1991). ` Inourreviewoftherecord,wecannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheconclusionofthetrialcourt.Thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costsoftheappealaretaxedtothedefendant. |;7> Ї%   `     h     ___________________________________ `     h     RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge@@@̛@@@@̛̛̛@CONCUR:@@________________________________  FrankF.DrowotaIII,Justice________________________________JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudge@  n  @@@@` X~ XXXn*8($hxR `Ektt068n ` ` ` $` $@n n INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@##$ATKNOXVILLE    h      p      x     h      p  `        `   `     h      p   DEBORAHZ.BARNES,  )JEFFERSONCIRCUIT @   ` $` $` `     h      p )  No.14,851 0 p  HҀ PlaintiffAppellee,    ) p      x    `   XX    h     ) p No.03S019804CV00043  P  v.    h   0  )@ 8"8"     h     ) p      x  0  RITTENHOUSE,INC.0    ) p Hon.RexHenryOgle  @  @  @  @  8"8" Ѐ    h   ) p Judge   DefendantAppellant    ) p      x    Ѐ   .    h       h JUDGMENTORDER ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant,Rittenhouse,Inc.andJ.EricHarrison,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.̀08/04/99#XX XX~!#@ ,P(2 Ѐ