ÿWPC 0U:° %êðn­ 0(­4Õéñ 0Jñw(; 0Tc 0^· 0h 0r} 0|ï 0†k 0ñ 1uU,ö 0d"U,†U6²U*èB) DC; AM~ 0@Ë D3 B> D+[ ê† v~p vÓî AOÁÆ 0DÖ<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiX3|xb«<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiXôxþ6X@É“8Ç;X@($¡¡dO˜ 2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  ÔPÓ€[_`a b2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô  ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)< Œ 9p`(ModernP ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Monaco< Œ 9p`(Courier New< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd-%#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò'''''ÿÿdxd d'ÈÈÈÈdxd àÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€ÔÔ€ ÔÝ  ÝÔ€!ÔÔ€!ÔÔ YYY ÔÓ  ÓFILEDÔ€!XÔÌÌò òApril€26,€1996ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌAppellate€Court€Clerkó óPtPtHHÚ(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 ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑMonacoÑÑ ÑÒ  eskto Monaco ÒÒ  eskto Monaco Ò-%/(Cþÿ` << CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó óÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÓ&€X„d&ÓÑ#€Xd#ÑÔ€ ÔÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ … ÒÓ  ÓÑ  ÑÑ\R AØ'\Ñò òÔ€!ÔIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€PANELÌAT€NASHVILLEÌÓ  Óó óÌÌÌNELLIE€MYRTLE€FARLEY,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àTROUSDALE€CIRCUITÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€Bobby€Capers,Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àJudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌLIBERTY€MUTUAL€INSURANCE€à à)à àNO.€€01S01„9509„CV„00147ÌÙ€-ÙßL€$)#;+'h|±/` ç `€€LßCOMPANY€and€TEXAS€BOOTà àà à)à à(No.€3113„0„87€Below)ÌCOMPANY,à àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendants/Appellantsà àà à)ÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellantsóó:à àà àòòà àà àFor€the€Appelleeóó:€Ìó óÌJerry€R.€Humphreysà àà àà àà àFrank€H.€FarrarÌDavies,€Cantrell,€Humphreys€&€McCoyà àà àWilliam€Joseph€Butler€€ÌP.O.€Box€190609€à àà àà àà àà àFarrar€&€HollimanÌ150€Second€Ave.€N.,€Ste.€225à àà àà à102€Scottsville€Hwy.ÌNashville,€TN€€37219„0609à àà àà àLafayette,€TN€€37083ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÓ  Óò òòòMEMORANDUM€OPINIONÌÌMembers€of€Panel:ó óóóÌÌJustice€Frank€F.€Drowota,€IIIÌSenior€Judge€John€K.€ByersÌSpecial€Judge€Robert€L.€ChildersÌÌÌÌÌÌÓ  Óò òAFFIRMED€AS€MODIFIEDà àà àà àà àà àBYERS,€SeniorÏJudge€ÌAND€REMANDEDÌÌÓÓòòà àó óóóThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'ÌCompensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€òòTenn.ÏCode€Annóó.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€Court€ofÏfindings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.Ìà àThe€defendants€below€appeal€the€trial€court's€award€of€75%€permanentÏpartial€disability€to€each€upper€extremity.€€They€challenge€the€amount€of€the€award,Ïits€commutation€to€a€lump€sum,€and€the€trial€court's€award€of€temporary€totalÏdisability€benefits€from€May€26,€1994€to€December€1,€1994.Ìà àWe€modify€the€trial€court's€award,€finding€that€the€evidence€preponderatesÏagainst€an€award€of€75%€permanent€partial€disability€to€each€extremity€andÏtowards€a€finding€of€45%€permanent€partial€disability€to€each€extremity.€€AsÏmodified,€we€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court.Ìà àPlaintiff,€63€at€the€time€of€trial,€has€a€sixth€grade€education.€€She€worked€forÍthe€defendant„employer€for€almost€26€years.€€In€late€October€1993,€she€was€foundÏto€have€bilateral€carpal€tunnel€syndrome.€€She€continued€to€work€until€January€3,Ï1994,€when€she€took€an€early€retirement.€€She€testified€at€trial€that€she€retired€earlyÏbecause€her€arms€were€"messed€up."€€Carpal€tunnel€releases€were€performed€inÏFebruary€and€May€1994.€€At€trial,€she€testified€that€she€reached€maximum€medicalÏimprovement€in€early€December€1994.€€She€has€not€applied€for€any€job€since€herÏretirement.Ìà àDr.€Abbey,€an€orthopedic€surgeon,€treated€the€plaintiff€and€testified,€byÏdeposition,€on€behalf€of€the€defendant.€€He€testified€that€the€plaintiff€did€well€post„operatively€and€that€he€assigned€her€a€zero€percent€impairment€rating.€€He€alsoÏtestified€that€after€he€assigned€her€this€rating,€the€plaintiff€had€problems€withÏswelling€and€discomfort€and,€between€the€two€surgeries,€she€developed€triggeringÏin€her€left€long€finger.€€He€opined€that€the€plaintiff€reached€maximum€medicalÏimprovement€on€May€23,€1994€for€her€carpal€tunnel€syndrome,€although€sheÏprobably€had€not€reached€that€stage€for€her€triggering€finger.€€He€assigned€noÏpermanent€restrictions.Ìà àDr.€Robert€Paul€Landsberg,€another€orthopedist,€examined€the€plaintiff€at€theÏrequest€of€her€attorney€and€testified,€also€by€deposition,€on€her€behalf.€€HeÏdiagnosed€the€plaintiff€as€post„bilateral€carpal€tunnel€release€with€continuing€mildÏbilateral€carpal€tunnel€syndrome€and€triggering€of€the€long€fingers€in€the€right€andÏleft€hand.€€He€opined€that€these€injuries€were€caused€by€her€carpal€tunnelÏsyndrome€injury€resulting€from€her€work.€€He€assigned€the€plaintiff€a€ten€percentÏimpairment€rating€for€each€upper€extremity€for€her€carpal€tunnel€syndrome€and€fiveÍpercent€for€triggering€finger.€€He€assigned€permanent€restrictions€against€repetitiveÏgripping€or€squeezing,€use€of€vibrating€tools,€lifting€more€than€two€to€three€poundsÏwith€either€hand,€although€stating€that€she€could€lift€up€to€five€to€ten€poundsÏsupporting€with€her€forearms.Ìà àDr.€Richard€Fishbein,€an€orthopedist,€also€examined€the€plaintiff€at€herÏattorney's€request€and€drafted€an€evaluation€report€which€was€submitted€intoÏevidence.€€He€opined€that€plaintiff€retained€a€ten€percent€impairment€rating€to€eachÏupper€extremity€due€to€mild€carpal€tunnel€syndrome.€€He€imposed€restrictionsÏsimilar€to€those€imposed€by€Dr.€Landsberg,€except€for€lifting€restrictions€of€no€moreÏthan€25€pounds€occasionally€and€less€than€five€pounds€frequently.Ìà àAlthough€Dr.€Abbey€testified€that,€pre„surgery,€the€plaintiff's€left€carpal€tunnelÏsyndrome€was€more€severe€in€her€left€arm,€both€of€the€evaluating€orthopedistsÏfound,€post„surgery,€that€plaintiff's€right€carpal€tunnel€syndrome€was€more€severeÏthan€that€in€her€left€arm.Ìà àAt€trial,€the€plaintiff€testified€that€she€continues€to€experience€pain,€numbnessÏand€tingling€in€her€arms.€€She€further€testified€as€to€her€difficulty€in€performing€evenÏeveryday€tasks.Ìà àOur€review€is€òòde€novoóó€on€the€record€accompanied€by€the€presumption€thatÏthe€findings€of€fact€of€the€trial€court€unless€the€evidence€preponderates€otherwise.€ÏòòTenn.€Code€Ann.óó€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àWe€find€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€a€finding€of€75%Ïpermanent€partial€disability€to€each€upper€extremity.€€We€modify€the€award€to€45%Ïpermanent€partial€disability€to€each€upper€extremity.Ìà àWe€find€that€the€evidence€does€not€preponderate€against€the€trial€court'sÏaward€of€temporary€total€disability€benefits€from€May€26,€1994€to€December€1,Ï1994.€€From€Dr.€Abbey's€testimony,€it€appears€that€this€condition€was€unresolved€atÏthe€time€she€reached€maximum€medical€improvement€for€her€carpal€tunnelÏsyndrome,€and€we€have€only€the€plaintiff's€testimony€upon€which€to€base€herÏmaximum€medical€improvement€for€her€triggering€finger.Ìà àPlaintiff€testified€that€she€would€use€a€lump€sum€payment€to€purchase€aÏhome.€€She€currently€lives€in€the€house€that€belonged€to€her€parents,€nowÏdeceased.€€She€does€not€pay€rent,€but€neither€does€she€own€the€home;€she€is€oneÏof€six€heirs.€€She€testified€that€she€would€place€any€excess€in€a€savings€account,Ïwhere€it€would€earn€interest.€€We€find€the€trial€court€did€not€abuse€its€discretion€inÏcommuting€the€award€to€a€lump€sum€payment.Ìà àAs€modified,€the€judgment€is€affirmed.€€Costs€are€assessed€to€theÏdefendants/appellants,€and€the€case€is€remanded€to€the€trial€court€for€entry€of€anyÏorder€necessary€to€carry€out€this€judgment.Ô€ ÔÌÔ€!ÔÌÓÓÌà àà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌà àà àà àà àà àà àJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€JusticeÌÌÌÌòòÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌRobert€L.€Childers,€Special€JudgeÔ€ Ô