WPC+ iDēR *6 g5]DTeMohTxz(S^}L@СM>eq.685c@׌0l- c= 0D}U:  B D3 0DBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB AO 0D D/ BHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial Regulary&3|x  S  $HXXXX `   1     XXXXTheappellantstatesthattheChancellorfoundthat theinjurysustainedbythe  plaintiffwhileworkingathomein1995wascausallyrelatedtoaworkrelatedinjurytheplaintiffhadsufferedtwoyearspreviously.Asobserved,theChancellorreferredtothe   September1995eventasanoninterveningincidentwhichwasmerelyanaturalprogressionoftheplaintiffsbackproblems.(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular U Ӏ  D  U  D V ((3$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7LXXdd7   `   0  (#$  0   XXXXXX Ad   FILED   May20,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular XXXXXX Ad   FILED#XX#XX   May20,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk  d$$$$'dxd(3$ !  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7EXXdd7  ݛ   XXXX X X  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @@B B SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL l*6&"h 8 `Ex tt06 lߛ $$ @@ATKNOXVILLE   X 9EӜ     $$JAMESCARDEN, h     ) p ROANE      CHANC  CH  ANCERY  ERY     `     h     ) p     ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     ) p NO.03S019712CH00151    `     h     ) p  4 v. `     h     ) p  J  `     h     ) p  ` ROANECOUNTY,TENNESSEE,  ) p HON.FRANKV.WILLIAMS,III, &v  `     h     ) p CHANCELLOR <  ` Defendant/Appellant    ) R  `     h     ) FortheAppellant: h     FortheAppellee:   ElizabethA.Townsend h     CarlW.Eshbaugh  < GeraldL.Gulley,Jr. h     JamesH.Varner,Jr. "R BAKER,McREYNOLDS,BYRNE  ESHBAUGH,SIMPSON&VARNER #h OKANE,SHEA&TOWNSEND  1776RiverwviewTower .$~ P.O.Box1708   h     900S.GayStreet D%  Knoxville,TN379011708    Knoxville,TN37902 Z&!      {  MEMORANDUMOPINION#   { #  0p+( MembersofPanel: JusticeAdolphoA.Birch,Jr. 3.+ SeniorJudgeWilliamH.InmanSpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.  &;v62 ЇAFFIRMED   h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge  H   ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. ` TheplaintiffwasinjuredinJuly1993whiledrivingatruckduringtheϜcourseandwithinthescopeofhisjob.Theoccurrenceoftheaccidentisnotquestioned;neitherdoesthedefendantquestionthattheplaintiffsufferedabackinjuryasaresultoftheaccident. ` Theplaintiffcontinuedhisemploymentwithintermittentmedicaltreatmentforhisbackcomplaints.OnSeptember1,1995,athisresidence,hestoopedtopickupanobjectandsufferedanotheronsetofpain. ` ThecomplaintwasfiledNovember20,1995,allegingtheoccurrenceofthetrafficaccident(asaresultofwhichperiodicpaymentsofcompensationweremadetotheplaintiffthroughNovember15,1995),andsubsequentphysicalimpairment. ` ThethrustofthedefenseisdirectedtotheincidentofSeptember3,1995,whentheplaintiffallegedlysufferedthenonjobrelatedaccidentathome,fromwhichhispresentimpairmentisderived. ` TheChancellorfounda40percentimpairment,holdingthattheincidentathisresidencewasnotaninterveningcause,butwasmerelyamanifestationofproblemswhichbeganin1993. ` TheissueiswhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingoftheChancellor. #  1       50-  ` Ourreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupon  therecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2);Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550 4  (Tenn.1995). ` Dr.DavidHauge,aneurologicalsurgeon,testifiedthathefirstsawtheplaintiffonSeptember1,1995,withcomplaintsofintermittentbackpaincommencingin1993,highlightedbytheepisodeofSeptember1,1995.OnOctober25,1995,duringsurgery alarge,bulgingpatulousappearingdiscwasencounteredwhichwasexcisedinaquadrangularmannerandmultiplelargefragmentsofhisdiscmaterialwereretrievedwithoutdifficulty.TheplaintiffprogressedsatisfactorilyandwasreleasedtoreturntoworkonMarch1,1996,withanimpairmentratingoftenpercent. ` Dr.HaugetestifiedthattheJuly1993accidentwas themostlikelycauseoftheplaintiffsdiscproblems,butthathe couldnotunequivocally[100%]saythatthebulgingdiscwascausedbythisaccidentbecause wedonthaveimagingstudies...tocompare...[andascertain]howbigthediscprotrusionwasatthattime.Hethenstatedthatthediscruptured,froma )$" clinicalviewpoint,whentheplaintiffliftedtheyardobject.Thisstatementisthe +'$ basisoftheappellantsargumentthattheyardincidentwasaninterveningcauseoftheplaintiffsbackproblem,forwhichtheappellantisnotresponsible. ` TheremedialnatureoftheworkerscompensationlawhasbeenoftendiscussedbytheSupremeCourtofthisState.Weneednotelaboratetheprinciple.BecausetheLawisremedial,thepublicpolicyofTennesseerequires 61. thatanyreasonabledoubtastowhetheraninjuryarosefromemploymentshouldberesolvedinfavoroftheemployee.See,Williamsv.PreferredDev.Corp., , 452S.W.2d344(Tenn.1970).Whenconsideredincompletecontext,weagree  X withtheChancellorthattheplaintiffsbackproblemsasofthedateoftrialwerecausallyrelatedtothe1993accidentandthattheyardincidentwasnotaninterveningcause.Statedotherwise,wecannotfindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheChancellorsfinding. ` Theappellantarguesthattheevidencedoesnotjustifyanawardof40percentimpairment,becausetheplaintiffreturnedtohisformerjobforthesamewage,thuslytriggeringthemathematicalmultiplierof2.5timesthemedicalimpairmentasprescribedbyT.C.A.506241.TheappelleerespondsthathereturnedtoworkforonehalfdayafterSeptember1,1995,anddidnotreturntoϜfulldutyuntilMarch1,1996.HewasdismissedfromemploymentonSeptember3,1996,whichlimitshisawardtosix(6)timesthemedicalimpairmentrating,sincehedidnotworkforthepreinjuryemployerforoneyearafterhereturnedtowork.WeseenoerrorintheChancellorsϜcomputations,andthejudgmentisaffirmedatthecostsoftheappellant. ` Ot     h      p _____________________________ +'$  `     h      p WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge# Ot< # ,((% CONCUR: ` Ot _______________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,Justice# Ot!# >3.+  ` Ot _______________________________JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge# Ot8"#      830     XX10 @  DINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  l*6&"h 8 `Ehtt06l %%@"ATKNOXVILLE %%JAMESE.CARDEN, h     ) p RoaneChancery (x   `     h     ) p No.12,751 4   ` PlaintiffAppellee,     p ) @   `     h     ) p Hon.FrankV.Williams,III, L  Chancellorvs. `     h     ) d  `     h     ) p  p ROANECOUNTY,TENNESSEE,  ) p NO.03S019712CH00151 | Ѐ `     h     ) p    ` DefendantAppellant,    ) p AFFIRMED  52510 @(D#10552(#XX10JUDGMENTORDER  T  `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. `  Costsaretaxedtothedefendantappellantanditssurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDERED. ;7: Ї `     h      p   PERCURIAMBirch,J.,NotParticipating# XXXX ### X Xr(#