WPC aF+U ˬP^`Iel>{&7%܅Zkk ^10%&@P7crx+GVU6vl ?Z:<#>T5=6AX<_-Q?DXrLj#~ Suite810,FirstAmericanCenter  P.O.Box530 T$  P.O.Box2649   h     Clinton,TN377170530 j%! Knoxville,TN379012649     ,j  MEMORANDUMOPINION#   ,j # .Z*' MembersofPanel: JusticeAdolphoA.Birch,Jr. 1-* SeniorJudgeWilliamH.InmanSpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.  b<84 /e  AFFIRMED   h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge  H   ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. ` GeorgeEdwardFreeman(employee),sustainedaninjurytohislefteyewhilegrindingmetalatwork,whenapieceofmetalpenetratedhissafetyglassesandlodgedinhiscornea. ` Thetrialcourtawarded70percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytothelefteye,whichtheemployerappealsasexcessive. ` Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. ` EmployeehadworkedforVinylexCorporation(employer),asamachinetechnicianandmaintenancefabricatorforelevenyearswhenhewasinvolvedintheabovedescribedindustrialaccidentonFebruary18,1995.Hewastakentoanemergencyroom,whereexaminationbyDr.LeslieCunninghamrevealedacentralcorneallaceration,withinflammation,andatriangularmetallicforeignbodyinhislefteye. ` Dr.Cunninghamsurgicallyremovedtheforeignbody,cleansedthewoundandpatchedMr.Freemanseye.Sheadvisedtheemployeetoleavethepatchontheeyeandtoremainoffworkforsixweeks.Mr.Freemantestifiedthathewentbacktoworkthreedayslaterowingtofamilyfinancialresponsibilitiesrequiringhimtoearnhisfullsalary. ` Dr.Cunninghamassessedthreetofivepercentpermanentpartialimpairmenttothelefteye,butopinedthatiftheemployeeworksinbrightsunlightorunderbrightlightsordrivesatnight,thenhismedicalimpairmenttothelefteyewouldbe16to18%,andthatheretainsapermanentcornealscar. `  ";b73 Ї ` Employeetestifiedthathenowhasa milkyandveryblurryviewfromhislefteye,mustclosehislefteyeinordertoread,andmustconstantlystraintosee.HenowworksatEagleBendManufacturingonthethirdshift,withworkhoursfrom10:30p.m.to7:00a.m.Hemustdriveatnightandhasdifficultywhenheencounterstheheadlightsofoncomingcars,orinthedaytimewhenheisinbrightsunlightorbrightlightofanykind.Althoughheisnowearningahigherhourlywagethanheearnedwhileworkingforthedefendantemployer,theunrebuttedtestimonyoftheemployeeandthetreatingphysicianindicatesthatheretainssubstantialimpairmenttohislefteye. ` Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovouponthe L recordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2);Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550  (Tenn.1995).Inthiscase,asinallworkerscompensationcases,theclaimant'sownassessmentofhisphysicalconditionandresultingdisabilitiesiscompetenttestimonyandcannotbedisregarded.TomStillTransferCo.v.Way,482S.W.2d T$  775,777(Tenn.1972). ` WefindthepreponderanceoftheevidencesupportsthetrialcourtsϜfindings,whichareaffirmed. ` AppelleeassertsthatbecausethereisnoproofintherecordtorebuthisϜevidence,thisappealisfrivolous,andheasksthiscourttoawardhimdamagesagainsttheappellantunderTenn.CodeAnn.506225(i),whichprovides:8 ` Whenareviewingcourtdeterminespursuanttomotionorsuaspontethattheappealofanemployerorinsurerisfrivolous,ortakenforpurposesofdelay,apenaltymaybeassessedbysuchcourt,withoutremand,againsttheappellantforaliquidatedamount. ` f!` f!   8651  ` Thestandardfordeterminingwhetheranappealisfrivolousiswhetherthe appellantpresentsanyevidenceorruleoflawwhichwouldentitlehimtoa , reversalorotherrelieffromthedecreeofthetrialcourt.Wellsv.SentryIns.Co., X 834S.W.2d935,939(Tenn.1992)[emphasisadded].Whileweagreewiththe D  appelleethatthetrialcourtcorrectlydeterminedtheissuesinthiscase,theappellanthaspresentedseveralpriorcaseswhich,ifdeterminedtobecontrolling,couldhaveresultedinareductionintheamountofthepermanentpartialdisabilityaward.  %  1      כTherefore,wefindthisappealwasnotfrivolousand 4 declinetoawarddamagestoappelleeonthatbasis. ` Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmedatthecostsoftheappellant. ` _~      h      p _____________________________   `     h      p WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge#  _~3#  CONCUR: ` _~  _______________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,Justice#  _~ # #Z  ` _~  _______________________________JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge%  p($" % '   ' !  `  _~   INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE#_~ "#! XWX _~!   @cc-c `     h   ATKNOXVILLE `     h      p      x  `     h      p      x   (#  ` GEORGEEDWARDFREEMAN   p )  CAMPBELLCHANCERY p  `     h      p )     x  \   `  Plaintiff/Appellee     p )  No.14,036  (#  H   `     h      p ) `     h      p )     x   (#   `   `     h   )  No.03S019803CH00023 (#   L   ` v.    h      p )  8   q*;+'h| `E tt4 68 q 66##  `     h      p ) `     h      p )  Hon.BillyJoe   White!  q*;+'h|. `E tt4 8 q  !  ` AMERICANMOTORIST     p )  Chancellor    ` INSURANCE  COMPANY     p )  Ѐ    h      p )   `  Defendant/Appellant     p ) l  `     h   ̀    h  D  `     h   JUDGMENTORDER \ ̀! # XTXXXW/!#X[sXX XT!    ThiscaseisbeforetheCourt   upon   on 4  ##66theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,! # andthePanel'sMemorandum# " Opinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactand  conclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporated  hereinby   h reference; l  `    Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthe (#  B MemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedand (#  X approved;and `    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel's (#   findingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedand (#    affirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. `    Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant, (#   \  AmericanMotoristInsurancecompanyandStevenB.  (#   2  Johnson,Jr.,suretyforwhichexecutionmayissueif  (#     necessary." #    ` 02/18/99# # XTXXX[sv,## X XTb"##    h # &  `  h    INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE#  hR2# XTX   @cc-c `     h   ATKNOXVILLE `     h      p      x  `     h      p      x   (#  ` GEORGEEDWARDFREEMAN   p )  CAMPBELLCHANCERY   `     h      p )     x  t   `  Plaintiff/Appellee     p )  No.14,036  (#  d   `     h      p ) `     h      p )     x   (#  D    `     h   )  No.03S019803CH00023 (#  4 t   ` v.    h      p ) $d   `     h      p ) `     h      p )  Hon.BillyJoeWhite D   ` AMERICANMOTORIST     p )  Chancellor 4  & * * & & * l*6&"h 8 `Ett06l ##* &  ` INSURANCE  COMPANY     p ) $ Ѐ    h      p )   `  Defendant/Appellant     p )   `     h   ̀& ) & 񀀀& ) & 񀀀 `    & (   ( &  `     h   JUDGMENTORDER t  ##̀X[sXX XT   ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentire T  ` record,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecial ` Workers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel's (#     ` MemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactand ` conclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinby (#  8!x   ` reference; `    Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthe (#  $ $  ` MemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedand ` approved;and `    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel's (#  )%*  ` findingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedand ` affirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethe& 5  ` 5 & Judgment  oftheCourt. .*0  `    Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant, (#  D0,2  ` AmericanMotoristInsurancecompanyandStevenB. (#  10.4  ` Johnson,Jr.,suretyforwhichexecutionmayissueif (#  3/6  ` necessary. ` 02/18/99# XTXXX[s<## X XT2#& $  643:    $