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X   ""     YYY FILEDXSeptember5,1996CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco  ! . &**Xd&#**Xd#X   \RA'\      8 +  &      !.!   ` ` X\RA'\L/0-;+'h|`  `LINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(June25,1996Session)   ` XWOODROWCECILFOSTER,  )COFFEECHANCERY       )̀PlaintiffAppellee,  )Hon.JohnW.Rollins,       )Chancellor.v.       )       )No.01S019512CH00232COFFEECOUNTYHIGHWAY  )DEPARTMENTandCOFFEECOUNTY, )TENNESSEE,     )       )̀DefendantsAppellants.  )ForAppellant: ForAppellee:StevenA.Dix     RobertPetersMcClellan,Powers,Ehmling&Dix Swafford,Peters,O'Neal&PriestMurfreesboro,Tennessee,ԀԀWinchester,Tennessee   ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel:FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtJoeC.Loser,Jr.,RetiredJudge'  CorneliaClark,SpecialJudge   ` X   ` ` X   ` XAFFIRMEDLoser,Judge    Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,theemployerquestionsthetrialcourt'sconclusionthattheclaimisnotbarredbyTenn.CodeAnn.section506203,aoneyearstatuteoflimitation.Theemployeralsocontendstheawardofpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedonfortyfivepercenttothebodyasawholeisexcessive.Thispanelfindsthatthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. rA  Theactionwascommencedbytheemployeeorclaimant,WoodrowC.Foster,bythefilingofacomplaintonMarch6,1991,againsttheemployer,CoffeeCountyHighwayDepartmentandCoffeeCounty,Tennessee,seekingworkers'compensationbenefitsforinjuriesoccurringin1986and1987.Thedefendantsservedananswerraisingtheaffirmativedefensethattheclaimwasbarredbytheabovestatuteoflimitation.Ourreviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2)(1992).  Weacceptthechancellor'srelevantfindingsoffactasfollows:0   "Theplaintiffwasa59yearoldmalewithatenthgradeeducationwho,forthemostpart,hadspenthisadultlifeeitherdrivingatruckorloadingandunloadingatruckwithshortperiodsofemploymentasacarpenter'shelperandworkingataservicestation.Mr.FostertestifiedthatinMarch,1986,whilechangingaflattire,hethoughthe'brokehisback,'thathewenttoadoctorwhoputacorsetonhimfortwoweeksandtoldhimhehada'pulledmuscle.'Plaintiffwentbacktoworkandtestifiedthathethought(the'pulledmuscle')wastheonlyconditionforwhichhesufferedanydiscomfort.Plaintifftestifiedthatin1990hesawadoctorbecausehisbackcontinuedtohurt.HesawDr.RobisonandDr.Jekot,whoaskedhimtoreturnforanotherappointmentbuthedidnotlethimreturntoworkwithoutseeinganeurosurgeon.HewenttoseeDr.VerneAllen...(who)performedanMRIthatshowedabulgingdisc...(forwhich)heultimatelyhadsurgery....Plaintifftestifiedthathewentbacktoworkaftersurgery.Hewasoffworkapproximatelytwomonths,butdespitebeinggivennorestrictionsasaresultofthesurgeryhehasconstantpainoutoftheleftsideofhisbackanddownhisleg,thathepresentlytakessteroidsandwalkstotrytostaylimberalthoughhecontinuestohurt.PlaintifftestifiedthathecontinuestotrytoperformhisjobasatruckdriverwiththedefendantHighwayDepartment."  Anactionbyanemployeetorecoverworkers'compensationbenefitsforanaccidentalinjurymustbecommencedwithinoneyearaftertheoccurrenceoftheinjury.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506224(1).However,ifwithinsuchoneyearperiodtheemployeroritsinsurermakesvoluntarypaymentofbenefits,theactionmaybecommencedwithinoneyearafterthecessationofbenefits.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506203.  TheSupremeCourthasconsistentlyheldthattherunningofthesestatutesoflimitationaresuspendeduntilbyreasonablecareanddiligenceitisdiscoverableandapparentthatacompensableinjuryhasbeensustained,andthatitisthedateonwhichtheemployee'sdisabilitymanifestsitselftoapersonofreasonablediligence,notthedateofaccident,whichtriggerstherunningofthestatuteoflimitations.SeeHibnerv.St.PaulMercuryIns.Co.,619S.W.2d109(Tenn.1981)anditsprogeny.Thepreponderanceofthemedicalevidenceinthiscasefailstoestablishthattheclaimant'sdisabilitymanifesteditselfmorethanoneyearbeforethecommencementoftheaction.  Dr.Allenopinedthattheclaimantispermanentlyimpairedasaresultoftheinjuryandassignedapermanentimpairmentratingoftenpercenttothewholebody.Moreover,asthetrialjudgefound,"thisplaintiffisaclassicexampleofahardworkingmanwithlimitededucation,anoncomplainerwhowithlimitedskillsdideverythingwithinhispowerdespiteconstantpainanddiscomforttocontinuehisemployment....Consideringtheplaintiff'sage,education,employmenthistoryandpresentcondition,hesustainedanoccupationaldisabilityoffortyfivepercenttothebodyasawhole."  Oncethecausationandpermanencyofaninjuryhavebeenestablishedbyexperttestimony,thetrialjudgemayconsidermanypertinentfactors,includingage,jobskills,education,training,durationofdisability,andjobopportunitiesforthedisabled,inadditiontoanatomicalimpairment,forthepurposeofevaluatingtheextentofaclaimant'spermanentdisability.McCalebv.SaturnCorp.,910S.W.2d412(Tenn.1995).Wehavecarefullyexaminedtherecordwithrespecttothosefactorsandarenotpersuadedthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourtwithrespecttotheextentoftheclaimant'spermanentdisability.  Thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendantsappellants.Thecaseisremandedtothetrialcourtforcollectionofcostsandsuchotherproceedings,ifany,asmaybeappropriate. *b   ` ` X_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,Judge   ` XCONCUR:_________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,AssociateJustice_________________________________CorneliaClark,Judge