WPC AZ=RWҽ% 0\- Gj<)‚ .qA S}>0pazح7x gIbKĎFQb}N 0 . 0< 0 0 0 0 0:  0 0#!]UN~ %M(N^ w 4$ m&=U: D/$$ BSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS AQp 0 0K 0D D3S B\  `&Times New Roman' IN THE SUPREME COURT OF TENNESSEE "Terryl James"0Terryl James .   6) 4Heading 1XXX    <:Default Para6[v 4Body Text  XXX) P p x (#)  D:X` hp x (#D:22 8Body Text 2XXX    0A .Header (#A7X` hp x (#A0A .Footer (#A7X` hp x (#A:8Page Number   )..      XX  _! (#X!    BlackvLibertyMutualQ1 1 Page     1      ݀(2$  4!..      XX  #|x(4$..      vXXvvHP LaserJet 8000 DN PS0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX*m8'L {Z='6[U  ["..      XX  _uVu Ad   FILEDeV   September24,1999  Cecil_Crowson_,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,iAZ"Arial Regular**' dxdP PdZ[\]_C<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$  4!..      XX  (3$  4!..      XX  ($$   1  ````'dxd d  4!..      XX  _     TR[A'3'A' Legal3'TXX   3 P p x (#X3XI<X _INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  lY_6&"h 8 `E "tt0:Dl DD(#(#SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATKNOXVILLE  DOUGBLACK  ) p KNOX h` COUNTYCHANCERY (#(#DD P   ) p  @8   P PlaintiffAppellant,  ) p  ,$   P   ) p    vs. P   ) p NO.03S019807CH00086     XI<XXXI<< P p x (#P X(#<  _   P   ) p _݌   Ќ  0P X(#P X(#0XI<XXXI<  LIBERTYMUTUALINSURANCE  ) p THEHONORABLE   ЀCOMPANY  ) p FREDERICKD.McDONALD,   P   ) p CHANCELLOR   P DefendantAppellee.  )  &  FortheAppellant:   p FortheAppellee:'   C.EdwardDaniel  JamesT.Shea,IV   825FreelsLane  Baker,McReynolds,Byrne,OKane,Shea ! Knoxville,TN37922  &Townsend "  P   607MarketStreet,11thFloor #  P   POBox1708 P   Knoxville,TN379011708  MailedMay_28_,1999&  MEMORANDUMOPINION  '$)I   MembersofPanel: /(,  JusticeWilliamM.Barker p1h*. SpecialJudgeHowellN.PeoplesSpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.  & b MODIFIEDandREMANDED   p   PEOPLES,SpecialJudge 816 XI<XXXI<    H+ P hp x (#P X(#H    Z   Ԍ̌XI<XXXI<  XI<XXXI<           Ԍ̌XI<XXXI<  XI<XXXI<          Ԍ̌XI<XXXI<  XI<XXXI<    V  V Ԍ̌XI<XXXI<  XXI<'b8U  l=d6;  P     h   X=Xjw OPINION  z X=XXX=    <   P ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers N F CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewith_T.C.A._ԀSection   506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactand   conclusionsoflaw.Theplaintiff,DougBlack,appealsadeterminationthathisdisability   islimitedto35percenttothelegbecauseoftheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct(ADA). ~v  Thedefendant,LibertyMutualInsuranceCompany(carrierforRoadwayExpress), JB assertstheawardisexcessiveinthatplaintiffsustainednovocationaldisability.Both  partiesassertthereisnolegalbasisforthetrialcourttoretainjurisdictiontomodifythe  awardifacourtdeterminesthattheADAdoesnotapply.Weagreethattheresultofa  separateproceedingundertheADAhasnobearingonthedisabilityoftheemployeeand zr accordinglymodifytheaward.     p     <݌ F> Ќ  X=XXX=     P DougBlackwasemployedbyRoadwayExpressasanovertheroadtruck !  driver.OnSeptember22,1995,heinjuredhisleftlegashewasexitinghistruck.Dr. "  JoeLuna,anorthopedicsurgeon,treatedtheinjury,foundtorncartilageintheknee,and $" did_arthroscopic_Ԁsurgery.Afterthesurgery,Mr.Blackcontinuedtohavemechanical v&n$ symptomsandgivingawayoftheleg. B(:!&  P InJuly1996,aMRIrevealedapossibletornanteriorcruciateligament(ACL). *#( Mr.BlackhadreturnedtoworkandpostponedfurthersurgeryuntilNovember1996.Dr. +$* WilliamL.Johnson,apartnerofDr.Luna,didareconstructionofthetornACL.Mr. -&, Blackrecoveredwellfromthesecondsurgery,buthadacartilagedeficitontheweight r/j(. bearingsurfaceoftheboneandunderwentathirdsurgeryfor_debridement_Ԁanddrilling >16*0 ofthatregionofhisknee.Dr.Johnsontestified,bydeposition,thatMr.Blackhasan18  3,2 percentpermanentimpairmenttohislegasaresultoftheinjury;theonlypermanent 4-4 workrestrictionplacedonhimwasthat heshouldhaveacruisecontrolonhistruck, 6/6 andthatwasprimarilyasasafetyissueincontrollingthefootpedals.Dr.Howard n8f18 Brown,alsoanorthopedicsurgeon,sawMr.BlackonMay22andJune23,1997fora ::23: secondopinion.Dr.Brownopinedthathehasa10percentpermanentmedical <4< impairmentaccordingtotheAMAGuidesandnopermanentrestrictionsonactivities.    _X=XXX=    Q   P Mr.Black,age37,graduatedfromhighschoolin1977.Hereceivedno   furtherformaleducationorvocationaltraining.Hisworkhistoryincludedoperatinga l d bobcatandtruck,workingasalaborerforacompanyinstallingnaturalgaslines,and 80 workingasalaborerforahomebuilder.Hehadalsobeeninsalesforfourorfiveyears,   callingon momandpopstorestakingordersforclothes,buthetestifiedthatthe   stores,andjob,nolongerexisted.HehadworkedforRoadwayExpresssince1989   1990.Q݌ h` Ќ  X=XXX=  X=XXX=    !   P Followinghisthirdsurgery,Mr.Blackattemptedtogobacktoworkfor 4, Roadway,butatruckwithcruisecontrolwasnotmadeavailabletohim,andhewasnot  allowedtoreturntowork.Atthetimeofthetrialofthiscase,Mr.Blackhadfileda  separatesuitundertheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct.ThetrialjudgefoundthatMr.  Blackhada35percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytotheleg.Inaccordancewiththe d\ instructionsofthetrialjudge,thefinaljudgmentprovidedthattheawardtoMr.Black is 0 ( limitedbytheprobabilitythathewillbesuccessfulinanAmericanswithDisabilities ! lawsuitpresentlypending.ItdirectedthatifhewasnotsuccessfulintheADAclaim, #   hecanreturntothiscourtforanincreaseinsaidworkerscompensationawardashis %" disabilityissubstantiallygreaterthanthethirtyfivepercent(35%)awardedherein.! "݌ `'X $ Ќ  X=XXX=  X=XXX=    &   P Vocationaldisabilityisnotdependentonthedegreeofanatomicaldisability ,)$"& whereapermanentconditionisestablishedbythemedicalproof.Rather,itisafunction *#( oftheemployeesearningcapacityintheopenlabormarketconsideringage,education, ,%* jobskills,vocationaltraining,localjobopportunities,andotherfactors.Johnsonv. .', Midwesco,Inc.,801S.W.2d804(Tenn.1990).TennesseeCodeAnnotatedSection50 \0T). 6241providesthatwhenaninjuredemployeeisreturnedtoworkbytheemployeratthe (2 +0 sameorgreaterwage,themaximumpermanentpartialdisabilityawardistwoandone 3,2 halftimesthemedicalimpairmentrating.Iftheinjuredemployeeisnotreturnedto 5.4 work,orispaidlessthanbeforetheinjury,themaximumawardiscappedatsixtimesthe 706 impairmentrating.Counselforthepartieshavenotcited,norhavewefound,anyother X9P28 authorityforimposinglimitsonaworkerscompensationdisabilityaward.&C'݌ $;4: Ќ  X=XXX=     P Anawardinaworkerscompensationcasemaybereconsideredinlimited  situations.T.C.ASection506231permitsmodificationofanawardpayable  periodicallyformorethansixmonths(1)byagreementandapprovalofthecourt,or(2)   onashowingofincreaseofincapacityduesolelytotheinjury.Dingusv.Holston l d DefenseCorp.,211Tenn.20,362S.W.2d249(1962).Neitherofthosesituationsapplies 80 tothiscase.T.C.A.Section506241(a)(2)permitsreconsiderationofawardscontrolled   bythemultipliersinSection506241(a)(1),buttheseprovisionsapplyonlytoinjuriesto   thebodyasawhole.Davisv.Reagan,951S.W.2d766(Tenn.1997).Mr.Blacksinjury   istotheleg,ascheduledmember,andtheprovisionsofSection506241donotapply. h` T.C.A.Section506206permitslumpsumsettlementstobesetasidewhenthetrial 4, courtis shownthatthesettlementdidnotsecuretotheemployeeinasubstantialmanner  thebenefitsoftheWorkersCompensationAct.NailsvAetnaIns.Co.,834S.W.2d  289(Tenn.1992).Thisprovisiondoesnotapplytoanawardmadeafteratrial.Rule  60.02oftheTennesseeRulesofCivilProcedureisavailableinanappropriatecaseto d\ reconsideraworkerscompensationaward.SeeUnderwoodv.ZurichIns.Co.,854 0 ( S.W.2d94(Tenn.1993)andthecasescitedtherein.Ithasnoapplicationtothepresent ! case.Thereisnolegalbasisforthetrialcourttoreconsidertheawardbaseduponthe #  resultintheADAsuit. %"  P LibertyMutualassertsthattheAmericanswithDisabilitiesActof1990,42 `'X $ U.S.C.12101etseq.,constitutesavalidelementforthecourttoconsiderinassessing ,)$"& disability.CitingMaconCountyv.Dixon,100S.W.2d5(Tenn.App.1936),iturgesthis *#( courttoindulgethepresumptionthatemployersareawareoftheirdutiespursuanttothe ,%* ADAandthattheyarecomplyingwiththelaw.Thatargumentringshollowwherea .', separatesuithasbeenfiledagainsttheemployertoenforcetheemployeesrightsunder \0T). theADA.Thecourt,inthiscase,mustlooktotheusualelementsconsideredinassessing (2 +0 disability. Theseanatomicaldisabilityratingsarebutonefactortoconsiderin 3,2 measuringvocationaldisability,theultimateissueinallworkerscompensationcases.. 5.4 ..Thetestiswhethertherehasbeenadecreaseintheemployeescapacitytoearnwages 706 inanylineofworkavailabletotheemployee....Theassessmentofthisdisabilityis X9P28 basedonallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,theemployees_age, $;4: education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkatthetypesof  employmentavailableinhisdisabledcondition....Theclaimantsownassessmentof  hisphysicalconditionandresultingdisabilitiesiscompetenttestimonyandcannotbe   disregarded.Ormanv.Williams_Sonoma_,Inc.,803S.W.2d672at6778(Tenn.1991) l d (citingNewmanv.NationalUnionFireIns.Co.,786S.W.2d932(Tenn.1990)and 80 Corcoranv.FosterAuto_GMC_,Inc.,746S.W.2d458(Tenn.1988)).    XThetrialcourt(andDr.Johnson)believedMr.Blackstestimonythathewas   unabletodriveavehiclenotequippedwithcruisecontrol.Thatdeterminationisentitled   todeferenceonreview.Townsendv.State,826S.W.2d434(Tenn.1992).GivenMr. h` Blacksworkhistory,hislackofeducationorvocationaltrainingafterhighschool,his 4, medicalimpairmentof18percenttotheleg,andhisinabilitytodriveavehiclewithout  cruisecontrol,hehassufferedasignificantlossofearningcapacity.Havingfoundthat  thetrialcourtcouldnotlimittheaward,orreconsiderit,basedontheresultinthe  employeesclaimbasedontheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct,wemodifythejudgment d\ andawardbenefitsfor60percentdisabilitytotheleftleg.Thecaseisremandedfor 0 ( enforcementofthejudgmentasmodified.CostsoftheappealaretaxedtoLiberty ! MutualInsuranceCompany. #   X  ̀ X ,)$"&  P     h   ______________________________ *#( ӀHowellN.Peoples,SpecialJudge +$)  XConcur: v/n(- __________________________ 3,1 ЀWilliamM.Barker,Justice 3,2 ____________________________ r8j17 ЀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  X9P28