WPC! :# <UNG % 0U:4w@ 0?; 0Dz 0J  0D 0TR 0^ 0h 0rl 0| 0Z 0 1up 0d AQI 0` 0@w B D/ B D3 U>SU *U*B)DC AMQiDv~vHP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial Regularuj" 3|x   E   Ӏ  V  Ӏ ((3$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXXX7e*XXdd7   `   0  ('$  2  2 0Indent123  H($$   1  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X!"#&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3"$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXXX7e*XXdd7  ("$     d((' dxdP Pd$$$$'dxd<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(Arial<  9p`(Times% Line 7 d11117Border 1dd!#2C << G  !  #d#.    H \RA'\/#d#  ""  /   YYY FILED/XAugust28,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !#d#.    H \RA'\/#d#   $       Shehadnotworkedforaboutsixweeks,havingbeen senthomebyheremployeruntilshecouldproducearelevantmedicalreport.  !#d#.    H \RA'\/#d#   $       SeeNewtonv.ScottHealthCareCenter,914S.W.2d884(Tenn.1995).  !#d#.    H \RA'\/#d#  ""  /   YYY FILED/XAugust28,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva ! . .    H \RA'\/#00Xd##00Xd#    X !R342A1-j|` 81 `@Rߛ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATNASHVILLE,FEBRUARY1997SESSION JOANMARIEGRIFFIN,   ) COFFEECHANCERY      )  Plaintiff/Appellee   )      ) NO.01S019606CH00130 v.      )      )NATIONALMEDICALHOSPITALOF ) HON.JOHNW.ROLLINS,TULLAHOMA,INC.,withanassumed ) CHANCELLORnameofHARTONREGIONAL  )MEDICALCENTER,   )      ) Defendant/Appellant  )     FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee: VanessaA.Jackson   RussellD.HedgesRay,VanCleave&Jackson,P.C. Moore&HedgesP.O.Box1027    105N.AtlanticSt.Tullahoma,TN37388   P.O.Box1810      Tullahoma,TN37388   MEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel JusticeFrankF.Drowota,IIISeniorJudgeWilliamH.InmanSpecialJudgeWilliamS.Russell    AFFIRMEDasMODIFIED     INMAN,SeniorJudge  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Theplaintiffis29yearsold,married,andhasayoungchild.Sheislearningdisabledonaccountofastrokewhenshewasonlyfourmonthsold;shewasbornwithcongenitalheartdisease,anddevelopedapronouncedscoliosisatage12whichrequiredthesurgicalimplantationofrodsinherback.Notwithstanding,shehasheldseveraljobs:attendantatadaycarecenter,counterclerkatafastfoodeatery,salesclerkandcashierataJ.C.Penneystore. ShewasemployedbythedefendantinAugust,1992infurtheranceofitsspecialemploymentprogramcalledOvercomingChallengeswhichwasestablishedtoemployafflictedpersons. Herinitialjobwiththedefendantwasworkinginthecafeteriamakingsandwichesandservingfood.Someofthisworkwasdifficultforher,andambitionlagged;thedefendantconstantlyprovidedencouragement,andatthetimeofherallegedinjuryshehadbeenassigneddutiesasacashier. Shewasoftenabsentfromworkowingtoillnessortothepreemptivecareofheryoungchild.Shecommonlyexperiencedpainandfatigueasaresultofstandingorsittingforextendedperiods,orwheneversheliftedobjects.Herpreviousjobsatthedaycarecenter,fastfoodrestaurantandtheJ.C.PenneyStorealsocausedpainandfatigue. TheinjuryfromwhichthiscomplaintarisesoccurredMarch30,1994whentheplaintiffattemptedtoliftamilkcrate.ShewasinitiallytreatedbyDr.Ramprasadwhoprescribedphysicaltherapy;thereafter,shewasreferredtoDr.PaulMcCombs,aneurologicalsurgeon.Hesawtheplaintiffontwooccasions,April25andMay16,1994,andonthesecondvisitreleasedhertoreturntoworkwiththerecommendationthatsheavoidprolongedrepetitivetwisting,bendingandstooping,andthatsheavoidliftinginexcessof20poundsatanyonetimeortenpoundsrepetitively.   TheplaintiffreturnedtoDr.McCombsonJune6,1994statingthatshehadareoccurrenceofpainwhileliftingherdaughter.ShereturnedagainonJuly25,1994,statingthatshewasworkingasacashier,andthattheworkwastolerableandherpainwasdecreasing.Sheresumedherjobwiththedefendant,atthesamewages,andwasallowedtoworkasoftenasshewished.Herjobwasfacilitatedbythedefendantwhichprovidedherwithanergonomicallycorrectchair,andshewasallowedtotakerestbreaksasoftenasshethoughtnecessary. Adocumentedfileontheplaintiffwasmaintainedbythedefendant.ShequitherjobonMay4,1995withawrittennotesaying, ImturninginmyresignationbecausemydaughterisgoingtobeoutofschoolandIneedtostayhomewithher,andmybackisgivingmeproblemssoIwouldliketoquit. 5    Dr.McCombstestifiedbydepositionthattheplaintiffsufferedachroniclumbarstrainresultinginafivepercentimpairmentaccordingtotheAMAGuidestotheEvaluationofPermanentImpairment.Hedidnotbelieveshewouldrequirefuturemedicalcareorpainmanagementcare,andstatedhisopinionthatshecouldcontinueherjobasacashier. ApsychologistwasemployedbytheSocialSecurityAdministrationtoadministercertainpsychologicalteststotheplaintiff.Sheattestedtothelimitedmentalabilitiesoftheplaintiffwhichwerelikelyquiteobviousandopinedthattheplaintiffhadnotransferablejobskills,notwithstandingthatshewasabletoworkasacashier. Thetrialjudgefoundthattheplaintiffhadsustaineda75percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytoherwholebody.Hedeclinedtoapplyanystatutorymultiplier,holdingthatTenn.CodeAnn.506242shouldcontrolthedispositionofthecase.Weareunabletoagree. Tenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)providesthatwhereaninjuredemployeewhoreceivespermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsandthepreinjuryemployerreturnstheemployeetoworkatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewageearnedatthetimeoftheinjury,themaximumawareistwoandonehalftimestheimpairmentrating. Itisnotdisputedthattheplaintiffreturnedtoworkatthesamewagebutreducedhours.Whileshetestifiedshequitbecauseofthepainassociatedwiththejobascashier,wecanhardlyoverlookhermanuscriptednoteofresignationheretoforereproduced.Beforeherinjurysheworkedasacashier;shereturnedtothatjob;therewerenocomplaintsaboutherperformance;shetoldDr.McCombsthatherbackpainhadimprovedandthattheworkwastolerable,andDr.McCombswasoftheopinionthatshecouldperformthework. Tenn.CodeAnn.506241(b)prescribesthemaximumawardtheemployeemayreceiveissix(6)timestheimpairmentratingifthepreinjuryemployerdoesnotreturntheemployeetoemploymentatawageequaltoorgreaterthanthewageearnedatthetimeofinjury. Ameaningfulreturntoworkisimplicated,andwhetherornottherehasbeenameaningfulreturndependsonthefactsofeachcase. 6   כThefactssubjudiceareextraordinary,andtheapplicationofsection(a)initsliteralcontextwouldlikelyandunjustlypenalizetheplaintiffforindustryandacommendableworkethic.She,inpointoffact,returnedtoworkparttime,but%  ԛquitforthereasonsstated.Thethrustofalltheevidencejustifiesafindingthatunderthecircumstancesofthiscasetherewasnomeaningfulreturntowork,thustriggeringtheapplicationofsection(b). Weobservethattheemployercannotlawfullybeoneratedwithliabilityfortheplaintiffspreviouslyexistingafflictions,absentaninjurywhichaggravatedapreexistingcondition.Heranatomicalimpairmentattributabletotheworkinjuryisfivepercent,andthepathologywasinsignificant.Theevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgment,andinfavorofafindingofsixtimestheimpairmentratingoffivepercent,or30percenttothebodyasawhole,andwemodifythejudgmenttosohold.Asmodified,thejudgmentisaffirmed,withcostsassessedtothepartiesevenly.      ___________________________________      WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice________________________________WilliamS.Russell,SpecialJudge    J37;+'b| ` 81 `@J@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATNASHVILLEJOANMARIEGRIFFIN,   ) CoffeeChancery      ) No.9544Below PlaintiffAppellee,   )      )V.      )      ) NO.01S019606CH00130      )NATIONALMEDICALHOSPITALOF ) Hon.JohnW.Rollins,TULLAHOMA,INC.,withan  ) Chancellor assumednameofHARTON  )REGIONALMEDICALCENTER,  ) Affirmedasmodified.      ) DefendantAppellant.  )@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.  Costsareapportionedevenlybetweentheparties.Onehalfofthecostsareassessedagainsttheappellant,onehalfagainsttheappellee,andexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  Itissoorderedthis28thdayofAugust,1997.       PERCURIAMDrowota,J.,notparticipating